What is the average acceleration of an elevator

The same two forces are at work as when the elevator was accelerating up. The scale will read the Normal force which is less than it was at rest. The two forces acting on a person when he is moving in an elevator is the force of gravity and the normal force by the elevator. The two forces are of equal magnitude, and the elevator is static or moving with constant velocity. Their magnitudes are unequal when the elevator is accelerating upward or downward. When the elevator is moving, we will weigh our normal weight.

Since we are already moving at the same speed as the elevator up or down , nothing is affecting us to change our weight. So for a short time, we are pushed into the floor more and our weight goes up. The same thing works when the elevator starts moving. When an object is speeding up, the acceleration is in the same direction as the velocity.

Thus, this object has a positive acceleration. In Example B, the object is moving in the negative direction i. Even if all the cables snapped, an elevator still would not fall to the bottom floor. Elevators have a passive, automatic, built-in braking system.

The brakes require no electricity, no remote control, and no human operator. The elevator would only fall a few feet and then stop. When the elevator is accelerating, there is a net upward force from the acceleration as well as the normal force to counter gravity.

The normal force generates an upward acceleration. When moving at a constant speed, there is no upward acceleration and the normal force acts only to counter gravity.

A floating or immersed object is not accelerating upwards or downwards, so there can be no net force. In fact, buoyancy provides a supporting force exactly as the ground does.

Objects also experience some buoyancy in air, so even in air the normal force apparent weight is slightly less than the true force of gravity. Answer: The elevator is accelerating upwards. Your Response. What is the apparent weight when the elevator is: A accelerating upward with an acceleration of 1.

What does the scale read in N when the elevator is at rest? What does the scale read in N when the elevator is climbing at a constant speed of 3.

What does the scale. As part of a physics experiment, you stand on a bathroom scale in an elevator. Though your normal weight is N, the scale at the moment reads N. An elevator is being lifted up an elevator shaft at a constant speed by a steel cable. All fricional effects are negligible. Improve this question.

Dinkelberg Dinkelberg 25 6 6 bronze badges. When it stops accelerating there is zero net force, but because gravity still acts downward some other force must act upward. So, questions for the student: A How long does a "typical" elevator ride last? B For what portion of that time does the car have an upward acceleration? C A downward acceleration? D How does the power required during the two acceleration phases compare to that during the steady phase?

E Which term or terms is are the dominate contribution s during a single ride? Show 3 more comments. Active Oldest Votes. Please post the exact question you want answered. Edit: Do not make two posts regarding the same question. Improve this answer. Harshit Joshi Harshit Joshi 1, 4 4 silver badges 15 15 bronze badges. I thought I would need to calculate the average power in the whole acceleration process but I think what was meant was the power at the end of the acceleration.

Add a comment. Hope this helps. Bob D Bob D