A man stands on a scale in an elevator that is accelerating upward. The scale reads 731.6 N. When he picks up a 35.0 kg box, the scale reads 1108.2 N. The man weighs 68 kg. What is the acceleration of the elevator?
What do I need to do in order to solve this?
scalereading= mg + ma where m is the mass involved.
m is 68 kg?
m is 68 when scale reading is 731.6
731.6=68(9.8+a)
1108.2=103(9.8+a)
solve for a. You could have done it with either equation, whomever wrote the problem should not have given the mans mass, that way, you would have had two equations with two unknowns.
I come up with 0.96 m/s^2. Is this correct?
N/m I finally got it. Thanks for all your help. :)
To solve this problem, you need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration (F = m * a).
Here are the steps to solve this problem:
1. Calculate the weight of the man without the box:
- Weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity.
- Weight = 68 kg * 9.8 m/s^2.
2. Determine the net force acting on the man without the box:
- Net force = weight of the man without the box.
3. Calculate the weight of the box:
- Weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity.
- Weight = 35.0 kg * 9.8 m/s^2.
4. Determine the net force acting on the man with the box:
- Net force = weight of the man with the box.
5. Find the difference between the net forces acting on the man with and without the box:
- Difference in net force = net force with box - net force without box.
6. Apply Newton's second law to find the acceleration of the elevator:
- Difference in net force = mass of the man (including the box) * acceleration.
7. Rearrange the equation to solve for acceleration:
- Acceleration = difference in net force / mass of the man (including the box).
8. Plug in the values and calculate the acceleration.
By following these steps, you can find the acceleration of the elevator.