Eli5: What would happen if I pour water out of a bottle in a falling Elevator?

Question

What would happen? Would the water hit the roof of the elevator since the elevator is falling rapidly?

I thought about it when I put Eye Drops in an elevator.

In: Physics

Answer 1

So for the water to hit the roof, the acceleration of the elevator has to be greater than the acceleration due to gravity. this is because the water in the bottle will leave it at the same speed as the elevator, and will accelerate at the acceleration due to gravity. So if the water and the elevator both fell at the same speed then the water would appear to float with respect to the elevator, but if the elevator is accelerating faster then the water than the water would hit the roof.

However, in most situations, the elevator is also subject to friction due to it’s rails and other mechanisms, so the water will fall on the floor.