Energy Transfers: Bungee Jumper

• What does the conservation of energy mean?

  Energy cannot be created or destroyed
• How is energy transferred within a system?

  Through conversion between energy stores
• What happens when energy is dissipated?

  It is transformed into thermal energy
• What energy transfer occurs when a pendulum swings?

  Gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy
• What energy store is present at the start of a bungee jump?

  Gravitational potential energy store
• What happens to kinetic energy as the bungee jumper falls?

  It increases as gravitational potential energy decreases
• What happens when the bungee rope starts to tighten?

  Kinetic energy is at its maximum
• What happens when the bungee rope is fully extended?

  Kinetic energy store becomes zero
• What occurs when the bungee rope recoils?

  Energy transfers back to the kinetic energy store
• During the ascent, what happens to the kinetic energy store?

  It transfers back to the gravitational potential energy store
• What happens at the top of the ascent?

  All energy is in the gravitational potential energy store
• Why does the jumper never return to the original position?

  Energy is dissipated as thermal energy
• What causes energy dissipation during a bungee jump?

  Friction with air particles and rope stretching
• What type of energy is always dissipated during stretching of the bungee rope?

  Thermal energy
• What are the key energy transfers during a bungee jump?

  • Start: Gravitational potential energy
  • Fall: Gravitational potential to kinetic energy
  • Rope tightens: Kinetic energy maximum
  • Fully extended: Kinetic energy zero, elastic potential energy maximum
  • Recoil: Elastic potential to kinetic energy
  • Ascent: Kinetic to gravitational potential energy
  • Top: All energy in gravitational potential energy