A 160 lb person has a mass of 160/32 = 5 slugs. A 160-lb person steps into an elevator and stands on a bathroom scale. Determine the scale reading for the given scenarios. The elevator is accelerating upwards at 2 ft/s ².

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the elevator accelerates upwards, the apparent weight of the person increases due to the additional force required to accelerate them upwards along with the elevator. The apparent weight can be calculated using the formula $w = m(g + a)$, where $w$ is the apparent weight, $m$ is the mass in slugs, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity (32 ft/s$^2$), and $a$ is the acceleration of the elevator (2 ft/s$^2$ upwards in this case). Substituting the given values, $w = 5(32 + 2) = 5 \times 34 = 170$ lb.

A 160 Lb Person Has a Mass of 160/32 =