A lamp of mass m hangs from a spring scale which is attached to the ceiling of an elevator.When the elevator is stopped at the fortieth floor,the scale reads mg.What does it read as the elevator slows down to stop at the ground floor?
A)more than mg
B)less than mg
C)mg
D)zero
E)One cannot tell without knowing how fast the elevator is stopping.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the elevator slows down (decelerates) while moving downwards, the effective acceleration due to gravity increases, causing the scale to read a value greater than mg.

A Lamp of Mass M Hangs from a Spring Scale