i simply can not understand how. if you were to stand on a train and jump, you would end up in the same place you were when you jumped. similarly, how do flies fly on a train??

Question

i simply can not understand how. if you were to stand on a train and jump, you would end up in the same place you were when you jumped. similarly, how do flies fly on a train??

In: Physics

Answer 1

Think of it this way: if at the exact moment you jumped up, the train instantly stopped in place (without getting destroyed); would you go up and come back down or would you be launched forward to your death?

You would be launched forward to your death because you were traveling at the same speed of the train before it suddenly stopped.

Notice I had to add the caveat of the train not getting destroyed magically because in reality, if the train stopped suddenly like that, all of the parts of the train would continue forward and the train would crumple.

Now imagine the train didn’t stop, you are still launched forward, the train just catches up to you to catch you at the same exact speed so you don’t notice the difference.