Bungee Jumping!

How do you get back up after bungee jumping
- John Porter (age 71)
Missouri City, TX

Hello John, The truth is you do not get back up right after bungee jumping. When you do a bungee jump, the elastic cord would stretch (as you fall pass the rest length of the cord) and contract (as the cord pulls you higher again). However, the cord would not have enough potential energy to pull you back up to your jumping point. Instead, in most bungee jumps, after the multiple "stretching-and-contracting" cycles, the jumper would be gently lowered--by extending the bungee cord--onto a cushion on the ground (if they were jumping off a crane), or lowered onto a boat (if they were jumping in a valley with a river in it).

Maurice

(published on 02/22/2012)