Question

You stand on a scale in an elevator (calibrated to measure mass).

a. Draw a picture of you and all forces acting on you.

b. Draw a new picture of the scale and all forces acting on it

(when you are on top of it).

c. How are the normal forces on you from the scale and on the scale from you related?

d. Convert weight into mass (1.00 kg = 2.20 lbs), use this mass for all calculations.

e. If the elevator is not moving, calculate the normal force you exert on the scale.

f. Your scale displays mass by taking the total normal force acting on It from above and dividing that value by g to get kg. Using this knowledge, for your answer to (e) what does the scale display?

g. While on the scale, you push the button for an upper floor and the elevator accelerates upward at +1.4 m/s 2?̂.

Now what does the scale display?

h. If the elevator accelerates downward at – 9.8 m/s2 ŷ, what does the scale display?

Thoughts?

Answer 1