# Trampoline on the Moon
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trampoline-on-the-moon/532113
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 11, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trampoline-on-the-moon/532113 "2010-03-11T15:54:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trampoline-on-the-moon/532113/21 "2010-03-12T17:33:16Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#):
>
> More than 500K jumps. Starting from zero motion, the earliest bounces won’t displace the trampoline very far (since the jumper’s legs don’t move very far per jump, only a couple of feet), and so won’t exert very much force: our traveler won’t be able to pump much energy (per jump) into the system until later on when he’s achieving very large displacements and has something (a very displaced trampoline) against which to exert the full force of his leg muscles.
Actually, I think the first jump would be best; all the thrust from the legs would go into downward motion of the tramp and upward motion of the body. After that the guy would be kicking the tramp at random points in its motion. Soon it would be thrashing about with a large number of modes of oscillation (assuming no energy loss - all energy from the kicks staying within the man/trampoline system). The man’s bounces would be of various heights. Hopefully, after a few years, he’ll hit it just right and get enough energy transferred to him to begin his infinite journey.
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trampoline-on-the-moon/532113/22 "2010-03-12T22:15:34Z")
**BlinkingDuck** said:
> [@](#):
>
> Would you be able to run [on the moon]?
Yes, depending upon the flexibility of the suit. The problem is not propulsion, it is that your inertia will be normal but the associated gravity pull, and therefore friction, will not. That disjoint will make you clumsy. Want to fall down and crack your faceplate?
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