Question

A student, who weighs 720N, is standing on a bathroom scale and riding an elevator that is moving downwards with a speed that is decreasing at a rate of 3.1m/s2.
What is the student's mass?
What is the net force on the student?
What value does the scale read?

Answer 1

Answer:

1) The mass of the student is approximately 73.39 kg

2) The net force on the student is approximately 947.523 N

3) The value the scale will read is approximately 96.59 kg

Explanation:

The given parameters are;

The weight of the student = 720 N

The speed at which the elevator is decreasing = 3.1 m/s²

1) The weight of the student = The mass of the student × The acceleration due to gravity

The acceleration due to gravity is a constant = 9.81 m/s²

Substituting the known values gives;

720 N = The mass of the student × 9.81 m/s²

∴ The mass of the student = 720 N/(9.81 m/s²) ≈ 73.39 kg

2) The forces acting on the student are;

i) The force of gravity which is the weight of the student acting downwards

ii) The inertia force of the slowing elevator acting downwards in the same direction as the weight of the student

The net force, $F_{net}$ = The weight of the student + The inertia force of the slowing elevator

∴ The net force, $F_{net}$ = 720 N + 73.39 kg × 3.1 m/s² ≈ 947.523 N

3) The scale will read the mass of the student as follows;

Mass reading of student on the scale = Force on scale/9.81

∴ Mass reading of student on the scale = 947.523/9.81 ≈ 96.59 kg

The value the scale will read = 96.59 kg.