The upward normal force exerted by the floor is 600 N on an elevator passenger who weighs 610 N.
What is the reaction force to the upward normal force exerted by the floor?
What is the reaction force to weight of the passenger?
What is the magnitude of the acceleration?
To find the reaction force to the upward normal force exerted by the floor, we can use Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The reaction force to the upward normal force exerted by the floor is the downward normal force exerted by the passenger on the floor. Since the passenger is stationary (not accelerating), the downward normal force is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the upward normal force. Therefore, the reaction force to the upward normal force of 600 N exerted by the floor is also 600 N in the opposite direction.
To find the reaction force to the weight of the passenger, we also use Newton's third law of motion. The weight of the passenger is the force due to gravity acting on the passenger's mass. The reaction force to this weight is the upward force exerted by the passenger on the Earth.
Since the passenger is stationary (not accelerating vertically), the upward force exerted by the passenger on the Earth is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the weight. Therefore, the reaction force to the weight of the passenger, which is 610 N in this case, is also 610 N in the upward direction.
To find the magnitude of the acceleration, we need to consider the net force acting on the elevator passenger. In this case, the only vertical force acting on the passenger is the upward normal force of 600 N exerted by the floor. The weight of the passenger, which is 610 N, is canceled out by the equal and opposite reaction force of the passenger on the Earth.
Since the net force acting on the passenger is zero (600 N upward normal force - 610 N downward reaction force = 0), the acceleration of the passenger is also zero.