Weightlessness while in the air

[Annubes]

when i jump, while I'm in the air ( no air friction), my weight would be zero, right? but the equation W=mg doesn't consider that. g and m would be constant so my weight would be the same. am i missing something?

 

[gabee]

When you stand on a scale, the scale is not measuring w=mg. It is actually measuring N, the normal force with which the ground is pushing back up on you.

If you are standing on a scale and you jump out of an airplane with the scale under your feet, the scale will read 0 because there is no normal force N acting upward on you--the only force acting on you is w=mg downward (which is why you are falling!).

So, in freefall, your weight would be the same as when you're standing on the ground. The thing that makes you feel weightless is the fact that there is no normal force from the ground acting on you, so you are accelerating downward with an acceleration g.

 

[m2003]

I can explain that weightlessness while in the air is a result of the absence of a normal force acting upon an object. In this case, when you jump, the normal force from the ground is removed and therefore, you experience a brief moment of weightlessness. However, this does not mean that your weight is zero.

The equation W=mg does not account for weightlessness because it is derived from Newton's second law, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. In this case, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is still acting on your body, even though you may not feel the normal force from the ground.

It is important to note that weight and mass are two different concepts. Weight is a measure of the force of gravity acting on an object, while mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object. Therefore, even though you may feel weightless in the air, your mass remains constant. This is why the equation W=mg does not change.

In conclusion, weightlessness while in the air is a result of the absence of a normal force, but it does not mean that your weight is zero. The equation W=mg is still valid as it considers the force of gravity acting on an object, regardless of its state of weightlessness.