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If a boy in the elevator drops a ball, does the ball fall onto the floor of elevator?

Actually I have a confusion with this question. Is the elevator at rest or in motion. And if the elevator is in motion than is it a freefall and also weightlessness? Can anyone clarify about this?

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  • $\begingroup$ As written the question seems underspecified. Use of the article "the" implies that the elevator in question has been described earlier. Having said that, in any real elevator scenario the ball will fall onto the floor. In order for this not to happen the elevator would have to be accelerating downwards at a rate greater than or equal to the ball's acceleration. $\endgroup$
    – M. Enns
    Commented May 17, 2016 at 13:20
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    $\begingroup$ If the elevator is in free fall, the ball will drop at the same rate as the elevator. But then - an elevator in free fall isn't really an elevator... $\endgroup$
    – Floris
    Commented May 17, 2016 at 13:45
  • $\begingroup$ @laamuser user, please accept my answer if it answers the question. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 6, 2018 at 9:08

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If the lift is going up or down maintaining constant velocity or if it is not moving at all, in all the three cases if you drop the ball it will take the same time to hit the floor. It is freefall in all three cases because you are just dead-dropping the ball and not giving any initial velocity or accelaration. (Inertial Frame)

What you are referring to with the word weightlessness is called negative 'G' effect. Suppose the lift is going down with an acceleration of g/2 (g ~ 9.8 m/s^2 is the gravitational acceleration) then you'll feel only half the weight you should feel, and if the lift is going up with an accelaration of g/2 then you'll feel 1.5 times the weight you should feel. (G-Force)(Non-Inertial Frame)

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