Need help with a question on Newtons Law's of Motion.

In summary, the conversation is about finding the tension in an elevator cable that is moving upwards with an acceleration of 1.0 m/s2. The total mass of the elevator and passengers is 800kg and the given value of gravity is 32ft/s2. The solution involves resolving the forces acting on the elevator and using F=ma to find the tension. However, the expert suggests explaining the method rather than giving the numerical answer to help the student learn.
  • #1
nelone
6
0
An elevator is moving upward with an acceleration of 1.0 m/s2. The total mass of the elevator and the passengers is 800kg. I need to find the tension in the elevator cable assuming g=32ft/s2. Need help, beginner in physics. Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Draw a free body diagram of the elevator and figure out the magnitude of the total force, applied by the cable, that is required to make it accelerate upwards at 1 m/s. That's the tension in the cable.

- Warren
 
  • #3
nelone said:
An elevator is moving upward with an acceleration of 1.0 m/s2. The total mass of the elevator and the passengers is 800kg. I need to find the tension in the elevator cable assuming g=32ft/s2. Need help, beginner in physics. Thanks!

Forces acting downwards are : Gravity (800g)
Forces acting upwards are : Tension.

Resolving forces and acceleration:
F = ma
T - 800G = 800x1
T = 800 + 800G

I never ever work in feet and can't believe they've given it to you in the form ft/s^2, is this an age old textbook or something? Personally i don't know the feet to m conversion but if gravity is 9.8m/s/s.
T = 8640N
 
  • #4
Thank you very much
 
  • #5
KnowledgeIsPower:

Please refrain from giving actual numerical answers to homework problems. It is much more constructive pedagogically to explain the method for solving the problem, but leave the actual numerical solution to the student.

- Warren
 

1. What are Newton's Laws of Motion?

Newton's Laws of Motion are three fundamental laws of physics that describe the relationship between an object's motion and the forces acting upon it. They were developed by Sir Isaac Newton in the late 17th century and are considered the foundation of classical mechanics.

2. What is the first law of motion?

The first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

3. What is the second law of motion?

The second law of motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. In other words, the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be, and the more mass an object has, the less it will accelerate.

4. What is the third law of motion?

The third law of motion, also known as the law of action and reaction, states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on another object, the second object will exert an equal and opposite force back on the first object.

5. How are Newton's Laws of Motion used in everyday life?

Newton's Laws of Motion have many practical applications in everyday life. For example, they explain how a car moves when the gas pedal is pressed, how a ball bounces when it hits the ground, and why objects fall to the ground when dropped. Understanding these laws also helps engineers design buildings, bridges, and other structures that can withstand external forces.

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