Why we can't feel gravity in a free fall situation

[coldcreation]

The way I see it is that you cant feel it because the earth "pulls" every single atom/molecule in your body t words itself at the same speed. Thus there is no pressure administered to the body or much of anything else in that matter, so you cant feel the pull.

 

Matter is in effect subsisting a free-fall during its acceleration—like the occupants of a freely falling elevator, to use Einstein’s famous analogy for describing the gravitational force. In this idealized thought experiment the inside observer drops a handkerchief and a watch. He finds that no force inside the elevator acts on the two objects, and so they are at rest. The outside observer, who is looking through the window of the elevator, sees the two objects free-fall towards the ground with the same acceleration. This is what demonstrates the independence of mass on the acceleration of a freely falling body, and reveals the equality of gravitational and inertial mass.

 

CC

[Agen]

Tormod I was talking about this in a free fall situation. When free falling there is no G force that you can feel, unless you are touching the ground that is.

[PuGZ]

 

 

I'm not sure if you misspoke when you wrote this, but if you said that while an astronaut or engineer was present, I feel that they could give you a strong argument as to the opposite of that statement.

 

I think it might have already been said, but the Earth is in fact being attracted to the person in free fall -- but the relative masses mean the Earth doesn't move very much at all. :huh:

[TheBigDog]

Tormod I was talking about this in a free fall situation. When free falling there is no G force that you can feel, unless you are touching the ground that is.

One more try...

You only feel a force if there is a resistance to that force. Inside the plane there is not wind resisting the gravity pulling you down, so you feel nothing while you and the plane are falling toward the earth at the same rate. Remember also that you are not just falling at a 130 mph or so, you are traveling laterally at more than 400 MPH, why don't you question the fact that you don't feel the lateral motion?

Bill

[Agen]

Err... yes I know. I wasn't asking anything in my post. I was stating the same thing you just said right now. Just in a more simple way.