Trampolines: a simple jumping machine

Have you ever been happily bouncing off a trampoline in a backyard or gym, and wondered how this simple platform can allow you to jump several feet in the air over and over again? Many people think that the elasticity they feel under their feet comes from the stretchy synthetic fabric of the trampoline mat that runs between the frame rails, but this is not really true at all. It is important to have a little understanding of how the trampoline parts work, so that you can care for the trampoline properly and enjoy its mechanics for many years to come.

The trampoline jumping action is actually the result of some cleverly used physics to provide hours of endless fun. In case you’ve never seen a trampoline up close before, you should know that they are still made according to the original design, which was invented by a man named George Nissan in the 1930s. Nissan noted that aerialists falling into the Safety net below could use the small elasticity of the ropes to bounce off their feet and sometimes in the air for one last trick.

Nissan was determined to find a way to recreate this bouncing motion on a larger scale, so it created an iron frame and stretched a piece of canvas over it, attaching the fabric to the frame with metal springs. These large metal springs were actually energy storage devices. The spirals in the spring represent potential energy, and when a person’s weight causes them to stretch, they release their energy by returning to their normal shape. When this energy is released, the depressed trampoline mat is pushed upward rapidly, propelling the jumper into the air. The more you land on the mat, the more force will be expelled to push you back into the air.

Although the trampoline is a simple machine, with only a few essential trampoline parts, it is important to ensure that all of these features are in good working order. All you need is a spring to bend, stretch or rust, and the entire springy nature of the trampoline mat would be ruined. When trampolines are stored outside, the springs are in particular danger of rusting, which decreases their ability to store energy and could cause the springs to break rather than return to their original position.