Zach, whose mass is 69 kg, is in an elevator descending at 10 m/s. The elevator takes 2.5 s to brake to a stop at the first floor.
(a) What is Zach's apparent weight before the elevator starts braking?
1 N
69 * 9.8 = 676.2 N
To find Zach's apparent weight before the elevator starts braking, we need to understand the concept of apparent weight.
Apparent weight is the perceived weight of an object or person when it is in motion or experiencing acceleration. It is different from the actual weight, which is the force exerted by an object's mass due to gravity.
In this case, when the elevator is descending at a constant velocity of 10 m/s, Zach's apparent weight is equal to his actual weight, which is calculated using the formula:
Weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity
= 69 kg * 9.8 m/s^2
≈ 676.2 N
Therefore, Zach's apparent weight before the elevator starts braking is approximately 676.2 N.