Lab Practical
Bungee Drop
This lab practical is a demonstration of energy conservation. Here, there is a bungee cord with static and elastic sections, loaded with variable masses and set to reach various drop distances. The only energies that come into play during this equation derivation are potential energy and elastic energy; kinetic energy plays no role. To begin, the spring constant for the bungee cord must first be found. This will be done with a force sensor attached to one end of the cord. The cord will be stretched in increments while the force is recorded. Next, the force and position will plotted against each other to find k, the spring constant.
This could not possibly achieve a five on the scale because when calculating the spring constant, there was no motion. In the real test, the mass was accelerating, making the force on the line more. This means the mass would go past the zone for five points. The graph for the spring constant is also not perfectly straight. This means that the spring constant does not follow Hooke's Law exactly, thus the spring constant is not correct. The incorrect spring constant is certainly a source of error.