Jumping Can’t Save You in a Falling Elevator

Ever wonder if you could survive a falling elevator by jumping at the last second?

In reality, jumping would not save you. When an elevator is falling,

you and the elevator are both accelerating downward at the same rate due to gravity.

Inside the elevator, you are essentially weightless. If you jump just before the elevator

hits the bottom, the speed you can push off the floor is very small compared to the elevator’s

downward speed. Human legs can only generate a jump speed of a few feet per second,

while a falling elevator could be moving much faster. That small upward push would barely

change your overall downward velocity. When the elevator stops suddenly, your body would