A person rides in an elevator that is shot upward out of a cannon. Think of the elevator after it leaves the cannon and is moving freely in the gravitational field of Earth. Neglect air resistance.
a. While the elevator is still on the way up, the person inside jumps up from the “floor” of the elevator. Will the person (1) fall back to the “floor” of the elevator? (2) hit the “ceiling” of the elevator? (3) do something else? If so, what?
b. The person waits to jump until after the elevator has passed the top of the trajectory and is falling back toward Earth. Will you answers to part (a) be different in this case?
c. How can the person riding in the elevator tell when the elevator reaches the top of the trajectory?