Force Question Using weight and acceleration

[rcruz101]

Question: A 50 kg person stands on an elevator. How much force does she exert if the elevator accelerates upward at 1 meter per second squared?



I know she exerts 50 kg of force while the elevator is stationary, but I don't know the formula for when the elevator moves.

 

[ideasrule]

Draw a free body diagram on the person and write out Newton's second law. Remember that the force the ground exerts on the person is equal to the force the person exerts on the ground.

 

[tomcue]

The formula for calculating force is F = m*a, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration. In this scenario, the person's mass is 50 kg and the elevator is accelerating upward at 1 meter per second squared. Therefore, the force exerted by the person is 50 kg * 1 m/s^2 = 50 Newtons (N). This means that the person is exerting 50 N of force on the elevator while it is accelerating upward. It is important to note that this force is equal in magnitude to the force of gravity acting on the person, but in the opposite direction. As the elevator continues to accelerate, the force exerted by the person will also increase in proportion to the acceleration.