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 downwards at 2 ft/s ².

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the elevator accelerates downwards, the apparent weight of the person decreases. The apparent weight can be calculated using the formula $w = m(g - a)$, where $m$ 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$^2$ downwards). For a 160 lb person (mass = 5 slugs), the apparent weight in the elevator is $w = 5(32 - 2) = 5(30) = 150$ lb.

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