Final answer:
A person might be refused for bungee jumping due to mass affecting the cord's elasticity and safety, as heavier individuals could overstretch or snap the cord, reflecting the conservation of energy principle where potential energy is changed into elastic potential energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
A person who wants to bungee jump might be refused because of his or her mass due to the effect mass has on the energy output and the safety measures. Bungee cords have a maximum elastic limit, which is determined by the cord's ability to stretch and return to its original state under the force of weighted tension. A jumper's mass converts to gravitational potential energy at the jump's start and then to elastic potential energy as the cord stretches. If a jumper's mass is too great, it can exceed the cord's capacity, causing it to overstretch or even snap, leading to injury. Therefore, heavier individuals may pose a safety risk, and bungee jumping operators must ensure that the mass of the individual, including equipment, does not exceed the safe operating limits of the bungee equipment. This also illustrates the concept of conservation of energy, where energy is neither created nor destroyed, but transformed from one form to another.