It takes the elevator in a skyscraper 4.0 s to reach its cruising speed of 10 m/s. A 60 kg passenger gets aboard on the ground floor. What is the passenger's weight (c) After the elevator reaches its cruising speed?

Key Concepts

Weight

Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object, calculated as the product of mass and the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s² on Earth). For a 60 kg passenger, the weight can be calculated using the formula W = m * g, where W is weight, m is mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Equilibrium in an Elevator

When an elevator reaches its cruising speed, it moves at a constant velocity, meaning the net force acting on the passenger is zero. In this state, the upward normal force exerted by the elevator floor equals the downward gravitational force (weight) acting on the passenger, resulting in no acceleration.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = m * a). In the context of the elevator, once it reaches cruising speed, the acceleration is zero, indicating that the forces are balanced and the passenger experiences their weight without any additional forces acting on them.