Force Question: student mass in elevator accelerating & coming to a stop

[kgarcia654]

Homework Statement

A student of mass 52 kg stands on a bathroom scale in an elevator that is accelerating at 0.60 m/s². The elevator is descending and coming to a stop at a floor. What does the scale read? (Start by deciding what direction the acceleration is.)

Homework Equations

f=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

31?

 

[Chi Meson]

No.

First of all, what unit goes with 31? Regardless of your own bathroom scale, pretend you are using one that measures in Newtons (SI unit of force).

How much is the weight going to be normally?

Think about being in an elevator, going down, and the elevator is coming to a stop. As it is stopping, briefly, do you feel slightly heavier or slightly lighter?