What Does the Scale Show When the Elevator Accelerates Upwards?

  • Thread starter Thread starter gxinxing
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Elevator
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a scenario where a woman is standing on a scale in an elevator that is accelerating upwards. The context includes the forces acting on the elevator and the woman, specifically focusing on how these forces affect the reading on the scale during the upward acceleration.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to calculate the acceleration of the elevator using the force applied by the hoisting cable and the total mass. They express uncertainty about the equations needed and the forces involved. Other participants question the accuracy of the acceleration calculation and the understanding of the forces acting on the elevator.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing guidance on considering additional forces acting on the elevator. There is a focus on clarifying the problem setup and the forces involved, but no consensus or resolution has been reached yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of recognizing all forces acting on the elevator, including gravitational force, which may not have been fully considered in the original poster's calculations.

gxinxing
Messages
4
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



A 60.0 kg woman on a scale is in an elevator. The combined mass of the elevator and the woman is 815 kg. The elevator accelerated upwards, and during the acceleration, the hoisting cable applies a force of 9410 N. What does the scale read during the acceleration?

Homework Equations



F = ma.
Fn = mg + ma

Maybe there's more equations but I'm not sure.

The Attempt at a Solution



Well I first used F = ma to solve for a with F = 9410 and m = 815 kg. a comes out to be 11.5 m/s^2. Then I plugged a into the second equation to get Fn and I got 1280 N, but the answer is 645 N.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Your acceleration is not correct. It may help to make a diagram of the forces acting on the elevator.
 
I don't understand the other forces acting on the elevator.
 
There is one other force acting on the elevator besides the cable force (hint: it points in the opposite direction and relates to the mass of the elevator).
 

Similar threads

Mechanics: Elevator Accelerating Downward
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
Calculate elevator acceleration using mass
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Elevator Motion and Bathroom Scale Readings
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Solving Elevator Problem Homework Statement
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Find the power needed to accelerate this elevator downward
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
Force in an elevator during acceleration
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
11K
Elevator Problem: Determining Scale Reading for a Moving Object
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Action-Reaction Forces on an Elevator
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Understanding Sign Conventions in Elevator Tension Problems
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Determine the elevator's acceleration
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
4K