Calculate Elevator's Acceleration with Person on Bathroom Scale

[confusedaboutphysics]

A person stands on a bathroom scale in a motionless elevator. When the elevator begins to move, the scale briefly reads only 0.67 of the person's regular weight. Calculate the acceleration of the elevator.

how do i start this problem? help please!

 

[hotvette]

do you have any equations of motion you are suppose to use?

 

[Paulanddiw]

<tex>w=mg<txt>
when he's not accelerating his weight is something and g=32.2 ft/sec2. When the elevator accelerates his weight drops to .67 of what it was. (his mass hasn't changed)

 

[Paulanddiw]

<tex> w=mg<tex> I really wish I could make LATEX work.

 

[hotvette]

<tex> w=mg<tex> I really wish I could make LATEX work.

Use [ and ] instead of < and >

 

[andrevdh]

The person is experiencing two forces, his weight and the force from the scale (the reading on the scale is caused by the action/reaction force of this). The vector sum of this two forces gives the resultant "elevator acccelerating force" on the person according to N2.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Use [ and ] instead of < and >

And don't forget the / before the ending "tex":

[ tex ] e^{-x^2} [ /tex ]

gives $$e^{-x^2}$$.

The "Math Message Board" uses < > instead of [ ] and I am forever getting them mixed up!