You are riding an elevator that is accelerating downward at 2.20 m/s². You have a spring balance that is accurately calibrated in newtons. When you hang a mass of 10.0 kg on the balance, the reading of the balance is A) 120 N. B) 981 N. C) 76.0 N. D) 10.0 N. E) 9.81 N.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The force acting on the mass is its weight, which is given by F=mg, where m is the mass (10.0 kg) and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2). However, since the elevator is accelerating downwards at 2.20 m/s^2, the net force acting on the mass is its weight minus the force due to the elevator's acceleration, which is F_net = m(g-a) = 10.0 kg(9.81 m/s^2 - 2.20 m/s^2) = 76.0 N. Therefore, the reading on the spring balance will be 76.0 N.

You Are Riding an Elevator That Is Accelerating Downward at 2.20