Editor’s Note: This is a theoretical discussion. We in no way recommend that you try this. In fact, we urge you not to.

This was on Reddit:

How much bubble wrap would you need to wrap yourself in if you wanted to jump out of a first story window and survive?

Why would anyone ask a question like this? Why would I even attempt to answer it? It’s what I do, that’s why. I serve the Interwebs. Perhaps someone in the Reddit comments has already answered this – but I shall proceed anyway.

Before I start, I would like to change the question. I am pretty sure you can jump out of a first story window without any bubble wrap. Here I am
assuming first story means second story window (or one floor above the ground). Really, this shouldn’t be too difficult to jump from this high. Here is my dangerous jumping calculator. Essentially, the important thing is how far do you travel while stopping. It can be done.

The modified question will be: How much bubble wrap do you need to survive jumping out of the 6^th floor of a building? Let me randomly say this
is a height of 20 meters.

Where would you start with a question like this? Well, first, we need some bubble wrap. What properties can I even measure from bubble wrap?

How thick is bubble wrap?

Yes, there are many types of bubble wrap, but here is a stack of the stuff I used.

To get the thickness, I will make a plot of the height of the stack vs. the number of sheets.

The slope of this linear fitting equation is 0.432 cm/sheet. So I will go with this for the thickness of one sheet.

What is the density of bubble wrap?

Not sure if I will need this, but here it is anyway. I cut the sheets into rectangles (for a reason you will see shortly) that had dimensions of 8.8 cm by 14.3 cm. From above, the height is 0.432 cm. This gives a volume per sheet of 54.3 cm³. To find the mass, I added the stack (one sheet at a time) on a balance. Here is the mass per number of sheets with a linear fit.

This line has a slope of 0.922 grams/sheet. So the mass of 1 sheet is about 0.922 grams. From this, I get a bubble wrap density of 0.017 g/cm³.
Note that this includes the buoyancy of the bubble wrap, so it isn’t the real density. This ok, since I will be looking at these in air anyway.

How springy is bubble wrap?

As you push on bubble wrap, it compresses. Does it act like a spring? I don’t know. Here is what I am going to do. I will take my stack of 14 sheets of bubble wrap and measure the height of the stack as I add more mass on top. Here is a picture.

If I think about the forces on the mass on top of the stack, I could draw the following force diagram:

Since the masses are in equilibrium, the magnitude of the force from the bubble wrap must be equal to the magnitude of the gravitational force. This gives me a way to easily determine the “spring” force from the bubble wrap. If the bubble wrap acts like a spring, then the force it exerts on the masses should be proportional to the amount the wrap is compressed. If I call the compression amount s, then this would be:

Where k is the spring constant. So, here is a plot of force vs. compression.

The slope of this line is 906 N/m, so that is the effective spring constant for this particular stack. Oh, notice that it looks fairly linear too (that is nice). So, you might think I could just use this to model a collision with a body wrapped in bubbles now, right? Not so fast. What if I made the stack twice as high? Would it have the same spring constant? Not likely. Why? Think of each sheet as a separate spring. All of these sheets have the same force pushing down on them (if I assume the weight of the sheets is small compared to the force) and so they will compress the same amount. If I have 10 sheets that all compress 0.1 cm, the total compression for the stack would be 1 cm (10*0.1 cm).
The result is that the bigger the stack, the lower the effective spring constant Also, if I have a larger bubble wrap sheet, there will be more “springs” next to each other to push up on the weights. If I doubled the area of the sheet, the stack would only compress by half as much. So, a larger sheet makes a larger effective spring constant. Maybe you can see that what I really need is Young’s modulus for bubble wrap and not the
spring constant of an individual sheet.

Young’s modulus is a way to characterize a material that is independent of the dimensions of that material. It is defined as:

Using the data from above, I get a Young’s modulus for bubble wrap with a value of 4319 N/m².

With this, I can find the effective spring constant of any amount of bubble wrap.

Jumping

It isn’t the jumping that is dangerous, its the landing. The best way to estimate the safety of a landing is to look at the acceleration. Fortunately, I
don’t need to collect experimental data on the maximum acceleration a body can take, NASA already did this. Here is essentially what they came up with (from the wikipedia page on g-tolerance):

From this, you can see a normal body can withstand the greatest accelerations in “eyeballs in” position. This is the orientation such that the
acceleration would “push” the eyeballs into the head. In the case of jumping, this means landing on your back.

I would normally start with my dangerous jumping calculator. However, there is a problem. The previous calculation determined the acceleration of the lander assuming a constant acceleration. If I am going to model bubble wrap as a spring, then the acceleration would change has the jumper stops. Here is a force diagram of the jumper while stopping:

In terms of forces and acceleration, I can write (now just in they-direction):

So the acceleration depends on the value of the spring constant as well as the distance the spring (bubble wrap) is compressed. I don’t know either of those values. Let me get another expression for the spring compression. Suppose I take the jumper, the Earth and the bubble wrap (spring) as one system. In that case, I can write the work energy principle for the jumper starting at a height h above the ground and ending with the spring compressed.

Just to be clear, the jumper velocity (and thus kinetic energy) of the jumper at the top and the bottom are both zero. The gravitational potential
energy is mgy and the spring potential energy is (1/2)mv². I now have two expressions with both k and s in them. This will let me solve for k:

Just to be clear, I am putting the maximum acceleration in for a. Also, I have made the assumption that the stopping distance (s) is small
compared to the jumping height. But the expression looks ok.

Let me go head and get an expression for k. Here are my starting values.

• m = 70 kg. I am assuming the total mass of the bubble wrap is small compared to the mass of the jumper. I can check this  assumption later.
• a = 300 m/s² (assuming the collision is   less that 1 second – should be a valid assumption).
• h = 20 meters (as stated above).

This gives a spring constant of 1.7 x 10⁴ N/m.

How much bubble wrap?

Now that I know the spring constant needed to stop the jumper, I am one step closer to determining how many layers of bubble wrap would be needed. There is one thing I need to estimate first – the area of contact between the ground and the bubble wrap. I know this area should actually change during the collision – so I am just going to estimate it. Suppose the contact makes a square about 0.75 meters on a side. This would give an area of 0.56 m².

I know Young’ modulus for the bubble wrap, so I can find the spring constant as:

Here L is the thickness of the bubble wrap. Solving for L:

With a sheet thickness of 0.432 cm/sheet, you would need (14.2 cm)/(0.432cm/sheet) = 39 sheets. That seems low, but that’s what I get.

How much bubble wrap?

If I need 39 layers of bubble wrap, how much total would that be? Let me assume that it wraps around the jumper to make a cylindrical shape. Here is sketch.

Looking down on a person, the person is about a cylinder with a radius of 0.3 meters (just a guess). If the bubble wrap cylinder extends another 0.142 meters, then what is the volume of bubble wrap? Oh, I guess I have to have a person height of about 1.6 meters (another guess). This would give a bubble wrap volume of:

Good thing I already calculated the density of bubble wrap. This gives a mass of 9 kg. Not too bad, but this technically would change the amount of bubble wrap needed to land. Just for safety, maybe I would add a couple more layers.

What about the size of this bubble wrap falling person? Would this change the air resistance on the person? Certainly. Would it change it enough to matter? I am going to guess: no. When falling from only 20 meters, the falling person probably won’t reach terminal velocity. Oh, don’t believe me? That is ok, I don’t really believe myself either. How about a quick python calculation.
Here I will use the following model for the air resistance (as I always do):

Where ρ is the density of air, A is the cross sectional area, and C is the drag coefficient for a cylinder. In this case I will assume the cylinder is falling with the axis of the cylinder parallel to the ground (so the person would land on the back). In this case the cross sectional area would be L*2R. I will use a drag coefficient for the cylinder with a value of 1.05.I will skip the details of the numerical model, but here is a plot of a falling cylinder both with and without air resistance from 20 meters.

Ok, maybe I was wrong. The cylinder with air resistance ends up with a slightly lower speed (17.8 m/s instead of about 20 m/s). Should I redo the
calculations? No, just count it as a safety factor.

Final Answer

I am going to go with 39 layers of bubble wrap. Should you actually do this? No. Don’t do this. Well, I guess you could do this with a dummy or
something.

One more quick question. I wonder how much bubble wrap you would need to survive jumping out of a plane. You might not need too much more since all that bubble wrap would also slow your terminal speed down.

In the end, maybe you shouldn’t pop that bubble wrap. It might be useful someday. (WARNING: jumping out of a window is not a good idea – just to be clear)

Rhett Allain is an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University. He enjoys teaching and talking about physics. Sometimes he takes things apart and can’t put them back together.

I recently saw an ad on TV and drink, which contains all the nutrients the body needs as well as antioxidants to help strengthen the immune system and thus helps a person fight the toxins and impurities, and possibly add years to human life. Antioxidants are found naturally in many fruits, vegetables and green tea. The makers of this great-tasting beverage market of fruit, these protectors of ‘organic Rogues’ human bodies with the use of bubble wrap. This is a fascinating concept of using bubble wrap to stimulate my thinking.

Clear bubble, which is commonly used in packaging fragile items before shipping, is dispersed through advertising to help protect the player from injury. The streets and sidewalks are lined with bubble wrap. All buildings and cars are covered in it. Even a dog chasing a belligerent man in the ad, is wrapped in bubble wrap and can not bite. At each step a person takes, the bubbles pop and crackle under his feet, but it is safe, and he feels invincible.

Nothing in his environment, that can hurt him. He stumbles and falls, but the security of any bumps and bruises. He just opens automatically back on their feet, maintain a no harm, and only a few popped bubbles lying in its wake. At the end of the spot, is so excited to do no harm to everything he meets, runs and jumps off the roof of a building – as a child, “Cannonball,” the pool of water. And a merry laugh, down the bubble wrap.

After seeing the ad, I thought, “What a clever concept for a world wrapped in clear plastic bubbles, and every crime, travel, trips and falls is diverted, and that land back in! Feet exceptional.” Although we do not live in a world, we can apply the same principles in our work and personal life. We fragility of bubbles, very important things and people in our lives, and we can do to care for others and ourselves.

We can give our lives for the preservatives, antioxidants, we need not only through our diet, but also through prayer, exercise, our mental growth and success. Whenever we need to foster a spirit or the psyche, we can get your fill of free wallpapers of inspiration. With a few clicks of our mouse, we can inspire our fragile position and quickly conquer doubt, unproductive thoughts. We can wrap ourselves in bubble amazing words and photos and to go out and conquer our vices, defeat and crazy ideas.

Inspiration, positive energy, which is surrounded by wonderful people, and to pursue our passions to protect us from bankruptcy. Inevitably, there will be obstacles and hindrances disappointments, but we can prevent the complications of creating permanent damage. Free download wallpaper inspiration are like bubble wrap for the hearts and heads. And use these free wallpapers inspired, we can solve our spirits and minds, to challenge ourselves, our re-plans and goals, and to restore us to drive. They protect us give up, abandon, surrender, and setbacks.

 

bubble wrap Appreciation Day officially falls on the last Monday of January annually. After being held for the first time in 2001, this year it will
celebrate the 50th birthday of the world’s most beloved packaging material.

The 25th of January will be celebrated with a Bubblympiad hosted by ‘Spirit 95’ Radio in Indiana where bubble wrap, which is a trademarked brand of Sealed Air Corporation, was first invented in 1957. The Olympic-style event includes a range of bubble wrap inspired activities such as a popping relay, a ‘pop’ song contest, and fashion and sculpture displays.

The invention of bubble wrap was one of life’s happy accidents when engineers, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes failed in their attempt to develop a plastic wallpaper. It was trademarked by Sealed Air Corporation in the U.S in 1960 as a cushioning packaging material. What was a loss for the world of wallpapering became a revolution in the way people packaged fragile items worldwide. Previously only paper was used for the protection of items in transit, which lead to many breakages. The bubble wrap material, which is created by trapping air in pockets of plastic sheeting, is used to provide cushioned protection for valuable and delicate items while they are transported. It has become invaluable in many industries including postal services and furniture removals.

“We use rolls of bubble wrap in our business daily,” says Zachary Rook, director of Brisbane Removalist company, Your Local Movers. “In our line of work we move the precious and often delicate belongings of our clients. As professional removalists we rely on only the best packaging materials, such as bubble wrap, to ensure the safety of the items we move.”

As well as its usefulness in many industries, bubble wrap has become an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. The bubbles make a very satisfying ‘pop’ when they are squeezed which has lead to people of all ages using bubble wrap for entertainment or the relief of stress. The material has even gone virtual; with bubble wrap simulation games becoming popular online. Recently Apple has released a bubble wrap iPhone application!

Happy 50th year anniversary to the auspicious bubblicious wrap, there is sure to be the squeezing, stomping and twisting of bubble wrap for years to come.

 

bubble wrap is one of those protects created for a sole purpose that actually has thousands of alternative uses. Traditionally used to protect products within packaging people have invented countless ways to re-use the highly useful material. Whilst some suggested uses for bubble wrap are ridiculous, such as reducing suicide rates by covering pavements in bubble wrap, some of the more original uses are actually very good. People reuse the material in so many ways, even as insoles for shoes, but these are the most practical alternative uses for the fun and versatile material.
One popular alternative use for bubble wrap is to line the draws of a refrigerator, especially the draws where fruit and vegetables are kept. This is actually one of the more common alternative uses for bubble wrap as it is still fulfilling its primary function of protection by cushioning. Lining the draw where fruit and vegetables are kept will prevent bruising especially with softer fruits like peaches. An added bonus to lining refrigerator draws with bubble wrap is that if you forget you have fruit in the draw and realise the mouldy mess later in the month then it is an easy clean up job.
Another alternative use for bubble wrap is for decorating and painting. If you want to paint textured patterns onto a wall you would more often than not use a sponge. Bubble wrap however can also give a great textured pattern when painting and surprisingly it does not look as tacky as you may think. One really effective way to use bubble wrap for painting is to buy bubble bagsto apply the paint. You can simply slip a bubble bag onto your hand like a glove and start painting. Using bubble bags will often reduce the mess when applying the paint and if it doesn’t at least you can have fun and look a bit silly when you are painting.
As well as decorating using bubble wrap many people have started to create works of art using bubble wrap. One artist inserted paint into the individual bubbles of a giant sheet in order to create a macaque style portrait of his wife. Bubble wrap has also been used to create sculptures. One notable sculpture is located in Olympia USA which depicts a man reading a book. The sculpture is almost entirely made from tape and bubble wrap and is to scale – it was made using the help of a sixteen year old model.
These are only a small number of the many alternative uses of bubble wrap however they are some of the more constructive and practical. Bubble wrap is a highly versatile material which if you are imaginative you can use in many situations.

by Filton Kingswood

 

bubble wrap is often taken for granted but have you considered how and why it was invented. It is used for a variety of reasons in today’s world ‘ from moving house, to packaging, to entertaining children. This article looks at the invention of bubble wrap, how it can be used and where it can be purchased in the UK

The Invention – where did it come from Bubble wrap was invented in 1957 by two American engineers called Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes. The underlying reason behind their creation is not documented but their invention has become an every day item throughout the world. Despite being a registered brand, the term ‘bubble wrap’ is now commonly used to refer to all similar products known as ‘cushioning material’ – in a similar way that ‘Hoover’ has become synonymous with vacuum cleaners.

Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material which consists of regularly spaced, protruding ‘bubbles’. It was invented by two American engineers in 1957 – Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes. Despite being an official brand name of Sealed Air Corporation, the term ‘bubble wrap’ is now widely used to refer to all items within the ‘cushioning material’ category.

What Uses Does our cushioned packaging have Bubble wrap has a wide variety of uses. Most commonly it is used as a packaging material as the bubble provides shock absorption to reduce items being damaged.

Bubble wrap has a wide variety of uses. The most common use of bubble wrap is for wrapping items when moving house. Often purchased along with cardboard boxes, it can be used to wrap small, delicate items as well as larger items such as mirrors or pictures to provide protection during transportation. As bubble wrap comes in a wide range of sheet and bubble sizes, you need to consider which size of bubble wrap is best for your individual needs. Multiple layers of bubble wrap can be used to offer greater protection to very fragile items.

With the advent of internet and home shopping, there has been a significant rise in the number of items being transported over both short and long distances. Previously, many companies used scrunched up newspaper or polystyrene beads within their packaging to protect items. However they have since moved to bubble wrap as it is not only more cost effective and better for the environment, but it also creates less mess.

It is not just companies who use bubble wrap in their packing. With the evolution of auction sites and other online personal sales channels, consumers are now also using bubble wrap to send their items to other people. This is primarily for the same reason as companies – to provide better protection, and ultimately fewer returns.

There is another less practical use of bubble wrap ‘ the pleasure of popping it. Although you may find this amusing, it has been proven that popping bubble wrap alleviates stress. Similar to the ‘stress ball’, the process of popping bubble wrap re-focuses the mind, whilst the sound is one we associate with amusement. Whilst bubble wrap may entertain an adult for a few minutes, it can be used to entertain young children for much longer. It isn’t just the popping noise that amuses them, but also the look and feel of the material itself. Being relatively transparent, it enables them to see shapes and colour through it, whilst the bubbles provide a unique texture.

Where To Buy Bubble Wrap
Since it’s creation in 1957, bubble wrap has become widely available to purchase. It is available in large rolls ‘ sometimes up to 100m for use in industrial packing or moving house, or smaller sheets which are ideal for ad-hoc packing tasks. The width of bubble wrap rolls also varies depending on what you need it for ‘ generally from 300mm up to 1500mm is most widely available. You can now also get anti-static bubble wrap which prevents you getting charges whilst using it, and also prevents static discharge to enclosed items.