The old falling lift question?

Question

What really happens if you were in a lift that is falling and you jump just as it hits the bottom? A scientific answer would be great thanks!

Answer 1

Theoretically, it could work. but you would have to time the jump within a fraction of a second of contact, and there's still the problem of the roof. presuming there was no roof of that you could get through it, your jump would have to very strong as well, since you are moving at the same speed as the elevator and in order for it to have and effect that would keep you from driving to the floor anyway, you would have to apply an opposite force- aka you would have to jump up at the same speed as the elevator was falling in order for the forces to cancel out and for you to have a perfect landing. that part doesn't' have to be precise, you can not quite match the -V of the elevator and still land at a speed your body can handle.

so yes, it's possible, and if your ever in a situation like that it's worth a shot. But those lifts can fall quite fast, and most people are not capable of jumping nearly fast enough. However, how fast you would have to jump would depend on how high the elevator was falling, since you accelerate the further you go.

but, in a purely mathematical theoretical sense, it would be possible. It's just not even remotely close to truly doable.

Answer 2

They answered this on an episode of "Myth-Busters"

First of all, you probably would not be able to time it right and jump up at just the right second.

Second of all, even if you jumped "up" relative to the lift, you are still falling down (although more slowly now) so you would hit the ground anyway, just a few seconds later.

Third of all, the lift collapses like an empty beer can when it hits the bottom, so the crash test dummy that they used was crushed by the collapsing roof of the lift; putting a spring under the dummy's bottom so that it "jumped" up at the right moment simply meant that it hit the roof sooner than later. You will still be squashed like a bug by the steel roof of the lift.

Answer 3

This was tested by the Mythbusters, and was busted! here's their answer: The jumping power of a human being cannot cancel out the falling velocity of the elevator. The best speculative advice from an elevator expert would be to lie on the elevator floor instead of jumping. Adam and Jamie speculated the attendant survived because the tight elevator shaft created an air cushion. This together with spring action from slack elevator cable could have slowed the car to survivable speeds.

Answer 4

How scientific does it have to be?

You are still falling at an accelerated rate when you jump, so when the abrupt stop occurs, you are still suffering the full impact as if you hadn't jumped.

Mythbusters did this and proved it true, but anyone with a little physics knowledge could figure it out!

Answer 5

once a lift is in free fall its difficult to 'jump' inside, since you are weightless in relation to the cabin.
All you can do is accelerate yourself away from a wall or the floor.
So you cause a small velocity for yourself in relation to the floor AND accelerate the cabin a tiny ammount in the opposite direction.
Now when the Lift hits the ground it appears to you that the floor is accelerating towards you at high speed. A much higher speed than you can achive accelerating yourself in the opposite direction.

effectivly your impact velocity is impact velocity of the cabin plus the tiny ammount of cabin-velocity from your jump minus your velocity away from the floor, which is more or less unimportant, cause a free falling cabin will hit the floor with a tremendous speed in relation of what you achived.
furthermore both accelerations from your jump just cause a difference in impact time for you.. a fraction of a second later, or so

Answer 6

Think about it this way . . . take the weight of the lift and multiply times the distance it fell. That's how hard it will hit the ground.

Now take your weight, and multiply it times the distance you jump in the opposite direction.

Subtract the second quantity from the first quantity to get the net result. I think you will find that jumping or not jumping makes little difference. :)

Answer 7

well assuming you time your jump perfectly i'd imagine you'd still at least severely injure your legs as you'd be travelling at a much lower speed than the lift when i tjumps back up.That's assuming of course you don't break your neck on the top of the lift

Answer 8

They tested this on the Discovery Channel show Mythbusters, and concluded you would still die or be seriously injured.

Answer 9

"Mythbusters" Episode 17: Elevator of death.

You die same as not jumping.

Answer 10

er...not heard this b4...but a wud lyk 2 know!
xxx