elevator that is falling • an object is in free fall when the only force acting on it is gravity • the elevator, you, and scale are all in free fall • in free fall the scale does not push back on you, because gravitational force is the only force acting on the scale • according to Newton's 3rd Law you are also not pushing down on the scale so the scale remains at 0lbs • you seem to be weightless , however Earth's gravity is still pulling down on you • because nothing is pushing up on you, you have no sensation of weight