eli5 how does jumping before an elevator hits the ground not save your life?
In: 48
I assume you’re talking about an elevator plummetting down a shaft.
Let’s say the elevator is falling at 50 mph and a half second before it hits the bottom you jump. Your speed relative to the elevator is at first negative (it must be for your feet to leave the ground) but you quickly slow and fall, momentarily you’re the same speed as the elevator at the peak of your jump (still relative to the moving elevator).
After the peak of your jump you accelerate towards the floor of the elevator so you’re moving faster than the elevator (maybe at 10mph relative to the elevator). At that moment the elevator hits the ground and stops but continue to be going 60mph and you hit the floor at that speed.
Had you just stood there you would have had less impact speed.
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