Elevator question

1. Oct 5, 2005

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!!

2. Oct 5, 2005

hotvette

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

3. Oct 5, 2005

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)

4. Oct 5, 2005

Paulanddiw

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

5. Oct 5, 2005

hotvette

Use [ and ] instead of < and >

6. Oct 6, 2005

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.

7. Oct 6, 2005

HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
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!

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