moving help: Jumping up on a train moving forwards.. - Help.com

rosscbrown
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Edinburgh, U8, GB

Jumping up on a train moving forwards..

If I’m on a train traveling forwards at say 90mph and I jump vertically into the air, why do I land where I took off from and don’t end up slamming into the end of the train car?

I asked my dad and he though I was crazy. But now I have a theory.

Both the train and I are traveling forwards at 90mph. When I up into the air I don’t suddenly stop moving forwards, I continue to move forward at 90mph (0mph relative to the train) and would continue doing so if i could remain in the air without falling due to gravity until such times as air resistance and friction would slow me to a speed slower than the train and then I’d move backwards in the car. Does that make sense?

Can someone provide a nicely worded explanation of what is happening when I jump up in a train car and land (as far as I can tell) in the same place?

This open post was written 2 months, 3 weeks ago | V/U/S: 98, 3, 3 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post

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potatobreadrules offline Verified User (11 months, 2 weeks) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Undisclosed Location | 2 months, 3 weeks ago (1 hour, 7 minutes after post)

your theory’s right, both you and the train are moving at 90 mph so you’re at 0 relative to train.
BUT jumping around a train at 90 mph is silly. sit down quietly before you hurt yourself or someone else.

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Rocco. offline Verified User (3 months, 4 weeks) Long Term User Shouts: 219 #
An Unknown Location | 2 months, 3 weeks ago (1 hour, 7 minutes after post)

Well, you answered it yourself.

Because you are jumping relative to the train, the train will still carry you unless ground that is not moving with the train interferes. The air friction is stopped because the train is enclosed. If, for example you were to jump vertically in a non-enclosed area, you would be swept away.
In a convertible, with the lid open, throw a tennis ball up. The tennis ball will rise, stay for a moment as it loses it’s momentum, but because the air is now pushing against it, it will be thrown behind you. Now, close the hatch and repeat. This time, when the tennis ball loses it’s momentum and there is no air pushing it, it will simply fall back into your lap.

Hope this helps, and I hope I made even a little bit of sense…

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~LazyDaze offline Verified User (1 year, 4 months) Long Term User Shouts: 224 #
Colwyn Bay, 90, GB | 2 months, 3 weeks ago (9 hours, 57 minutes after post)

yeah I agree, your moveing at the same speed as the train, which is a good job really if you want to see if you can smash into the back of it at 90mph :O

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