Accelerating Elevators

Hi guys i have a question , suppose we have two elevators with one person in each , one of them is in free fall in gravitational field and the second one is in zero gravity region (far from any planet, star...) how it's possible for these 2 persons inside the close elevators(no windows . and no contact with outside.) to know if they are in free fall or in zero gravity ...
- Ibrahim AB (age 21)
Beirut-Lebanon

If the gravitational field is uniform there is no way to tell.  However, if there is a gradient to the field then there will be a very slight difference in acceleration between two objects, one near the top and one near the bottom.  This difference will be proportional to the gradient and the separation distance.

 

LeeH 

(published on 08/09/2013)