If the elevator was stationary, the scale would read exactly the weight of the person:

However, the elevator is moving with an acceleration a, so the scale reads a new value of the weight, which we call W'. Newton's second law becomes

where a' is actually the total acceleration of the person, so it's the sum of the acceleraion of the elevator and of the gravitational acceleration:

Taking the direction of g (downward) as the positive direction, we can find the value of a:


So, the acceleration of the elevator is

, with same sign of g, so it's directed downward as well.
Answer:
1.It helps in trade and business.
2. It helps to perform scientific calculations.
Answer:
The velocity relative to the surface of the ice is 6.5 m/s.
Explanation:
Given that,
Mass of girl m= 45.0 kg
Mass of plank M= 150 kg
Velocity = 1.50 m/s
We need to calculate the velocity relative to the surface of the ice
Using conservation of momentum

Here,
because plank at rest

Put the value into the formula


Hence, The velocity relative to the surface of the ice is 6.5 m/s.