A large store escalator that is designed to transfer customers to one floor to another, a vertical distance of 8.0m. It takes each person 20 seconds to ride from bottom to top of the escalator. Explain how you would determine the power of the escalator motor.

Guess mass of person, say 80 kg

guess how many on elevator, say 50 (guess high, we want a strong enough motor)
so total mass of people on elevator at one time = 80*50 = 4,000 kg
energy change = m g h
= 4,000 * 9.8 * 8 = 316,600 Joules
divide by 20 seconds
----> 15,688 Watts
If the efficiency is 40% then you need about a 40 kw motor

To determine the power of the escalator motor, we need to calculate the work done by the motor in lifting a person from the bottom to the top of the escalator. The work done is given by the equation:

Work = Force × Distance

In this case, the force is the weight of the person being lifted and the distance is the vertical distance traveled by the person on the escalator.

1. Calculate the weight of the person:
The weight of an average person is typically around 70 kg. However, if you know the weight of the specific person, you can use that value instead.

2. Calculate the work done by the motor:
Work = Weight × Distance
Here, the distance is given as 8.0 m.

3. Convert the time taken to seconds:
The time taken for each person to ride from bottom to top is given as 20 seconds.

4. Calculate the power of the escalator motor:
Power = Work done / Time taken.

So, to determine the power of the escalator motor, follow these steps:

1. Calculate the weight of the person in kg.
2. Multiply the weight by the vertical distance traveled (8.0 m) to get the work done by the motor.
3. Convert the time taken (20 seconds) to seconds.
4. Divide the work done by the time taken to get the power of the escalator motor.

Note: Make sure to use consistent units throughout the calculation (e.g., kilograms for weight, meters for distance, and seconds for time) to get accurate results.