How will the weight of a 20kg object change if it was in a lift that accelerates downward at 4 meters per second squared?
W= m(g-a)
W=m(g+a)=20(-9.8+4)=-784
To determine how the weight of a 20kg object will change in a lift that accelerates downward at 4 meters per second squared, you need to understand Newton's second law of motion and the concept of weight.
Newton's second law of motion states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. In this case, the force refers to the weight of the object.
Weight is the force with which gravity pulls an object toward the center of the Earth. It is proportional to an object's mass. The formula to calculate weight is given by W = m * g, where W is the weight, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
In this scenario, the object has a mass of 20kg (m) and is experiencing an acceleration of -4 m/s^2 (accelerating downward), which is also the acceleration due to gravity (g) near the Earth's surface.
By substituting these values into the formula, we can calculate the weight of the object:
W = 20kg * (-4m/s^2)
W = -80N
The negative sign indicates that the weight is downward because the lift is accelerating in the downward direction. The weight of the object in this situation would be 80 Newtons downward.
Therefore, the weight of the 20kg object will be 80N downward in the lift that accelerates downward at 4 meters per second squared.