The problem involves determining the acceleration of a person standing on a scale in an elevator, given their normal weight and the scale reading. The subject area pertains to forces and Newton's laws of motion.
Some participants have offered guidance on visualizing the problem through free body diagrams and have prompted further exploration of the forces involved. There is an ongoing examination of the net forces acting on the person, but no consensus has been reached on the correctness of the calculations presented.
Participants are considering the implications of the scale reading and the forces acting on the person, while also referencing Newton's third law. There may be assumptions regarding the direction of forces and the relationship between the elevator's acceleration and the person's acceleration.
joe215 said:There is an upwards normal force on the person and a downwards force of mg on the person.
Also, I think the acceleration of the elevator=acceleration of the person. Also, upwards is the positive direction.
Since the scale reads 700N, then the net forces on the person equal 700N.
Fnet=ma
700N=(500/9.8)a
a=700/(700/9.8)
Is this right?
Thanks!