The force exerted by the floor of an elevator on the foot of a person standing on it is more than the weight of the person if the elevator is
1.going up and slowing down
2.going up with constant speed
3.going down and speeding up
4.going down and slowing down
3.going down and speeding up
To understand the force exerted by the floor of an elevator on the foot of a person standing on it, we need to consider the different scenarios mentioned.
1. If the elevator is going up and slowing down:
In this scenario, the force exerted by the floor of the elevator on the person's foot will be greater than their weight. This is because when the elevator is slowing down, there is a decelerating force acting in the opposite direction of the elevator's motion. As a result, the floor exerts an additional force on the person to counteract this deceleration, making the total force greater than their weight.
2. If the elevator is going up with constant speed:
When the elevator is moving upward with a constant speed, the force exerted by the floor will be equal to the weight of the person. This is because the elevator is not accelerating, so there are no additional forces required to counteract any changes in motion.
3. If the elevator is going down and speeding up:
In this case, the force exerted by the floor of the elevator on the person's foot will also be greater than their weight. When the elevator is speeding up while moving downwards, there is an accelerating force acting in the same direction as the elevator's motion. Therefore, the floor exerts an additional force on the person to counteract this acceleration, resulting in a greater total force than their weight.
4. If the elevator is going down and slowing down:
When the elevator is slowing down while moving downwards, the force exerted by the floor will be equal to the weight of the person. Similar to the scenario of constant speed upward, when the elevator is slowing down, there are no additional forces required to counteract any changes in motion, making the total force equal to the person's weight.
In summary, the force exerted by the floor of the elevator on the person's foot can be greater or equal to their weight depending on the specific scenario. It depends on whether the elevator is accelerating, decelerating, or moving with a constant speed, and whether it is going up or down.