ELI5- Can someone the physics behind Zero-G flights (Parabolic flight) ?
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The plane simply falls at the same speed as you.
Imagine you’re in a room. If you are floating in the middle of the room, you will accelerate downward at 9.8 m/s^2 , and if the room is sitting on the ground, the room isn’t accelerating at all, thus you accelerate relative to the room and you will hit the floor.
Now lets put the room in deep space. You float in the middle, not accelerating, and the room isn’t accelerating, and you’re free to float around the room.
Now lets put a rocket engine on the room to accelerate the room at 9.8 m/s^2. You’re floating and not accelerating, and the room accelerates up into you. Relative to the room, you accelerate downwards at 9.8 m/s^2 , so it seems like you are being affected by gravity.
Parabolic flight is just the opposite of that. The room is falling, accelerating at 9.8 m/s^2 , and you are inside that room accelerating at 9.8 m/s^2 . Relative to the room, you aren’t accelerating, and you’re free to float around the room.
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