You\'ve always wondered about the acceleration of the elevators in the 101 story

Question

You've always wondered about the acceleration of the elevators in the 101 story high Empire State Building. One day, while visiting New York, you take your bathroom scale into the elevator and stand on it. The scale reads 185lb as the door closes. As the elevator moves upward the scale reading varies between a minimum value of 146lb and a maximum value of 235lb .

Part A

The maximum (highest) reading on the bathroom scale occurs...

The maximum (highest) reading on the bathroom scale occurs...

During the middle of the trip when you are traveling at the highest rate of speed.

Part B

What is your mass in kg?

Please give your "pretend" mass as given in the problem not your actual mass!

Part C

What is the magnitude of the acceleration as the elevator starts upward?

Be careful to pay attention to units in this problem. (To m/s2)

Part D

What is the magnitude of the acceleration as the elevator brakes to a stop?

Be careful to pay attention to units in this problem. (To m/s2)

Just after the elevator doors have closed and you start moving upward. Just before the elevator doors open when you have arrived at your destination. There really is no way to predict when this maximum or minimum will occur as the scale reading will just go up and down as the elevator moves.

During the middle of the trip when you are traveling at the highest rate of speed.

Part B

What is your mass in kg?

Please give your "pretend" mass as given in the problem not your actual mass!

Part C

What is the magnitude of the acceleration as the elevator starts upward?

Be careful to pay attention to units in this problem. (To m/s2)

Part D

What is the magnitude of the acceleration as the elevator brakes to a stop?

Be careful to pay attention to units in this problem. (To m/s2)

Explanation / Answer

A)

here , the maximum acceleration occurs when the elevator is

accelerating upwards.

therefore , it is maximum acceleration is at

Just after the elevator doors have closed and you start moving upward

B)

Mass = 185 * 0.453

Mass = 83.8 kg

c)

When accelerating

M = 235 lb = 106.45

therefore ,

a = (106.45 - 83.8)*g/83.8

a = 2.65 m/s^2

the acceleration is 2.65 m/s^2 upwards.

D)

Here ,

M = 146 lb

M = 146*0.453 = 66.14 Kg

a = (83.8 - 66.14)*g/83.8

a = 2.07 m/s^2

the magnitude of the accleration is 2.07 m.s^2 downwards

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