As part of a fundraiser, the Chancellor has agreed to bungee jump from a crane 45 m above a pool filled with Jello. The plan is for the bungee cord to stop the Chancellor just before his head enters the Jello. Your task is to select a bungee cord that will safely stop the Chancellor's descent in time. To estimate the feasibility of the plan, assume for now that a bungee cord is massless and behaves like an ideal spring. Also neglect air resistance. What length and spring constant should the bungee cord have? Are those values realistic?
Things to consider:
Realistically, how much can a bungee cord stretch?
Does the bungee cord begin to stretch as soon as the Chancellor is dropped from the crane?
When is the Chancellor subject to the maximum force? How much force is safe?
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