Bungee jumping is an exhilarating sport. People in the South Pacific (Pentecoste Islands) have been bungee jumping using crude methods (bamboo vines) for thousands of years. Before you take "the plunge" on your upcoming adventure, it might make you feel a little more secure to get an idea of how the modern commercial process of bungee jumping works.
Height
A bungee jump platform height must be at least three times the bungee cord length (for example, 90 feet high for a 30-foot cord).
Gravity
Once the jumper steps off the platform, gravity pulls his body toward the ground. The gravitational pull is what speeds up the descent.
Speed
The jumper's body accelerates to 70 mph while falling.
Springing Action
The bungee cord is made of extremely flexible rubber wrapped in nylon. Like a rubber band, the cord springs back when the jumper reaches her lowest point and causes her to bob up and down. The resistance of the rubber cord cancels out the gravitational force and sends the jumper upward. The highest point of the bobbing action is called the apex.
Deceleration
As the bungee jumper bobs in the air, his speed decreases until the rubber stops stretching and his body is at rest.
