could you save yourself if?.....?

Question

you are in an elevator on the top floor of a building and the cable snaps, can you save yourself by jumping at the last second before collision with the ground?

Answer 1

You wouldn't need to. Elevators have multiple cables and each cable has the strength to pull more than 2 elevators. Also there is another not weight bearing cable that runs through a servo and if the speed of the servo reaches a certain point it will activate a brake. On the ground is a heavy duty shock absorber that will take the shock of a lift falling.

Answer 2

No, but I questioned this myself once upon a time. Well, I said no, but there is actually a small window of possibility where the answer could be yes... but first:

Let's say that you were falling at 125 miles per hour. How fast can you jump up? 2 mph maybe? Okay, so you are falling at 125 mph and subtract 2 mph. Now you hit the ground at 123 mph - you'll still die.

The small window I spoke about was this:

Let's say the lethal impact speed was 71 mph. You were falling at 72 mph and jumped at the last moment at a rate of 2 mph. You'd now hit at 70 mph and since 71 mph is the lethal speed... you'd live. Not a big window - but a window nevertheless. :)

Answer 3

Jumping at the last second will help a bit. However the different of the speed going down and the speed going up is still very high, and you still hit the base of the building at big force.

Answer 4

Depending upon how tall the building is, probably not.

I still think I'd try to lay down, so if it kills me it will get on with it. I used to work with an old man whose spikes failed him and he slid down a tall pole. He painfully lived on braces and crutches for the rest of his life. So rather than have the sudden stop wrench my legs out of socket and shatter my bones, maybe I'll just take my chances with my head cradled in my hands on the floor. Either way, if it is a tall building someone else will be carrying me out to the hospital or mortician.

Answer 5

NO! after only 2 seconds of free fall you would be travelling at 40 m/sec, humans can only jump at around 2.5 m/sec therefore you would not be able to overcome the inertia
emer brakes would stop you though, that's why they have them!

Answer 6

you would think so.... but also dont you think that the impact of the elevator box hitting the ground would smash it? so then even if the fall didnt kill you the weight of the box crashing down on you probably would... also how would you know when to jump?

Answer 7

i don´t think so, probably the elevator would totally end up wrecked, and even if you manage to get out of it and jump, you´d still have to live through the explosion it made when crashing.

Answer 8

i'm afraid i'd say i'd save my ideal chum yet even as probability comes i'd save myself. it is basic to assert "i am going to do" yet even as the challenge quite occurs what's declared is distinct, "No, I received't do". So, I go away it to circumstances. in spite of the indisputable fact that I actual have tried to assist others, in spite of the indisputable fact that I actual have tried to assist my acquaintances. yet even as probability comes i don't understand what my self may pick, and if the alternative it makes may be the right one and may be what i pick to do. thanks for the Q besides. AngelSky

Answer 9

I see where you're coming from, but somehow I doubt it with the impact coming the other direction.... hmmmmm gave me something to think about though.

Answer 10

yea u might not die but after that u will never be the same