A person who weighs 1100 N steps into an elevator. The person steps onto a scale, and the elevator begins to move down to the next floor. During the movement the person has an apparent weight of 950 N. The downward acceleration of the elevator is
A) 18. m/s $2$
B) 7.5 m/s $2$
C) 14 m/s $2$
D) 1.3 m/s $2$

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The apparent weight is less than the actual weight, indicating that the elevator is accelerating downwards. The apparent weight can be found using the equation $W_{apparent} = W - ma$, where $W$ is the actual weight, $m$ is the mass, and $a$ is the acceleration. Rearranging for $a$, we get $a = \frac{W - W_{apparent}}{m}$. Given $W = 1100 N$ and $W_{apparent} = 950 N$, and using $g = 9.8 m/s^2$ to find mass $m = \frac{W}{g} = \frac{1100}{9.8}$, we can solve for $a$. Plugging in the numbers, we find $a = 1.3 m/s^2$, which corresponds to choice D.

A Person Who Weighs 1100 N Steps into an Elevator 222

A Person Who Weighs 1100 N Steps into an Elevator $2$