Frog Jumping Dynamics

by Ryan McCune

Submitted : Fall 2009

The goal of this project is to determine the optimum angle of takeoff for a Cuban tree frog (osteopilus septentrionalis) during jumping. Other values recorded during this experiment are the velocity of the animal, power output, and time in the air during the jump. This is all assuming constant limb length and taking the distance of the farthest jump in the journal entry by Peplowski and Marsh (see references). The angle for maximum jump performance was determined to be approximately 45 degrees.

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