Barbie Bungee: Save Barbie with Science

Materials: measuring tape, rubber bands, barbies, ladder or stool, drop region (~ 15 ft), safety glasses. 

Barbie Bungee Challenge

Save Barbie with Science

Your Mission

Barbie wants the most exciting bungee jump possible.

Your job is to work like engineers. You must figure out how many rubber bands Barbie can use so she gets a long, exciting drop without touching the ground.

You will begin with test drops from standing height. Then your class may move to a higher final drop, such as a second-story balcony.

Part 1: Watch and Notice

Watch the two short videos with your class.

As you watch, think about:

  • what makes a bungee jump exciting
  • what makes a bungee jump safe
  • what engineers need to figure out before the final jump

Part 2: Build Barbie’s Bungee Cord

Work with your team to attach the rubber bands to Barbie.

Steps

  1. Loop one rubber band around Barbie’s ankles.
  2. Twist and secure it.
  3. Add more rubber bands one at a time by looping each band through the last one.
  4. Make sure Barbie is attached securely before testing.

Your teacher will show you how to set it up.

Part 3: Test from Standing Height

Your team will start with smaller test drops before attempting the final higher drop.

Your Goal

Use standing-height test drops to gather evidence that will help you predict the best number of rubber bands for Barbie’s final jump.

What To Do

  1. Start with a small number of rubber bands.
  2. Drop Barbie from the standing-height test point.
  3. Measure how far Barbie falls.
  4. Record your results on your worksheet.
  5. Repeat with additional numbers of rubber bands.
  6. Look for a pattern in your data.
  7. Use your evidence to predict the safest and most exciting final jump.

Final Challenge

Use what you learned from your test drops to predict the best number of rubber bands for the final drop.

Your team is successful if:

  • Barbie does not touch the ground
  • Barbie gets very close to the ground
  • your team uses data to make a smart prediction
  • your team can explain your reasoning

Science Connection

Before the drop, Barbie has gravitational potential energy because she is above the ground.

As she falls, that energy changes.

When the rubber bands stretch, energy is stored as elastic potential energy.

Engineers test and redesign to make that energy transfer safe.

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