Aline and Charlie are arguing as to whether or not it is possible in principle for an elevator to have an acceleration of magnitude greater than . In the course of their discussion they come up with the statements below. Which one is correct?
A)No, because once reaches , the elevator is in free fall.
B)No, because an acceleration greater than is not possible.
C)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than when the cable breaks.
D)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than if the motor is strong enough.
E)No, because it cannot exceed its terminal acceleration.

Question

Aline and Charlie are arguing as to whether or not it is possible in principle for an elevator to have an acceleration of magnitude greater than  . In the course of their discussion they come up with the statements below. Which one is correct?
A)No, because once reaches , the elevator is in free fall. 
B)No, because an acceleration greater than is not possible. 
C)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than when the cable breaks. 
D)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than if the motor is strong enough. 
E)No, because it cannot exceed its terminal acceleration.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A strong enough motor could provide an acceleration greater than 11eb8c7e_f555_a2ee_8371_7f3592a6944d_TB8847_11, even though this acceleration would likely be limited by the maximum speed of the elevator or its terminal acceleration. Choice A is incorrect because it assumes that the elevator is always subject to the force of gravity and therefore cannot have an acceleration greater than 11eb8c7e_f555_7bda_8371_a5fca449f8ae_TB8847_11. Choice B is incorrect because it suggests that there is a fundamental limit to accelerations that is below 11eb8c7e_f555_7bd9_8371_a528fbb61f79_TB8847_11. Choice C is incorrect because it assumes that the elevator will enter free fall if the cable breaks, which is not necessarily true if there are other mechanisms at play such as air resistance or backup safety systems. Choice E is incorrect because it assumes that the terminal acceleration is an unbreakable limit.

Aline and Charlie Are Arguing as to Whether or Not