Can you really make an elevator crash by jumping in it?

Answer 1

When I was in my undergraduate program in physics we reasoned that a well time jump when the elevator was attempting to settle on the floor would cause it to malfunction... we were correct and as a result spent about 30 minutes stuck in it. In terms of breaking the cable, it would be nearly impossible to do so by jumping. However, here in Boston, a construction crew once put a Bobcat skid loader into a large utility elevator which did result in a cable breakage and failure of the supplemental brakes.

Answer 2

When you stand on a structure, you exert a Static Load due to gravity; your weight. However, if you jump, you will also cause a Dynamic Load called Impact. This load is usually expressed as a percentage of the Static Load and can be in the range of 15-60% being on the load and application.

So, if you and a group of your friends jumped in an elevator, you would exert more load to it than if you were just standing in it. However, structures (and machines) are designed with a Safety Factor. The safety factor is a factor of the ultimate design capability of the structure divided by the design load.

So if an elevator has a design weight of say, 1000 lbs (posted in the elevator), but if it has a safety factor of say 6, the ultimate capablity of the elevator would be 6000 lbs. Most structures will have at least a safety factor of 4.

Additionally, as previously noted by others, Mr. Ottis invented a safety latch for falling elevators if it were to fail.

Answer 3

Maybe, it depends several cases:
1. How u jump, Together with other passenger in elevator or only u.
2. Maybe u jump in elevator by riding tractor. cause if only use your car it wouldn't crash
3. Most of elevator bearing capacity design depend on static loading. So if u (with your friend) use the elevator and keep fill the elevator until the alarm of weight limitation ringing , close the elevator door n jump together, i hope will be crashed as fast as u jump

Answer 4

You cannot make an elevator crash. It has a safety system to prevent it. You could snap the cable but the car would not fall to the bottom of the shaft because it uses a ratchet system. Like a seatbelt locking the car will stop where it is. You can also stall the elevator and get stuck.

Answer 5

No - not one person. But you might damage it if you had twenty people all do it at the same time. It still shouldn't crash, if it's a modern one; they are overengineered more than ten times for the weight they are designed to carry - but it's foolish to tempt fate, in my opinion, or show some rock-head that it's safe then he does it in some old piece of shite elevator that does fall -

Answer 6

theoretically - yes.

to jump up, you need to exert a downward force - newtons third law - therefore you exert an additional force onto the elevator support cables.

practically - no. these things are way over engineered anyways. Besides even if you managed o break the support cables, the emergency brakes would kick in.

Answer 7

Yes. But you have to be VERY strong (mutant powers) and heavy (much more than the rated capacity, several hundred pounds). And/or the elevator has to be in REALLY bad shape. But the odds are that you won't be able to crash it.

Answer 8

No you could not. It would take more force than one person can exert. If you had many people jump at the same time it could damage it and if you had enough (by which I mean cram it full of people to exceed the max weight) and jumped at the same time it is possible.

Answer 9

Possible but not likely. Not even if you try to find the resonant frequency.
The safety factors are humongous.
You might manage to jam it on its rails though.
(No they don't hang freely, and there is an automatic brake in case the cable does fail.)

Some pretty smart people have been working to 'idiot proof ' the things for a pretty long time.
An idiot would have to be REAL creative to beat them.

Answer 10

That would be scary!