Question
What is the force on a 1000 kg elevator that is falling freely at 9.8 m/sec?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
When an elevator is falling freely, it is in free fall due to gravity, which means it is accelerating downwards at the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \(9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\)).
The force acting on an object in free fall is simply its weight, which can be calculated using the formula:
\[
F = m \cdot g
\]
where:
- \( F \) is the force (in newtons),
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kg),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \(9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\)).
For a 1000 kg elevator:
\[
F = 1000 \, \text{kg} \cdot 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 = 9800 \, \text{N}
\]
So, the force on the 1000 kg elevator is \(9800 \, \text{N}\) downward due to gravity.
However, it's important to note that when the elevator is in free fall, the net force acting on it is zero, because it is in a state of free fall. The downward gravitational force is equal to the inertial force experienced by the elevator, so it would appear weightless to anyone inside it.
In summary, the gravitational force on the elevator is \(9800 \, \text{N}\), but the elevator is in free fall, experiencing no net force due to its own acceleration matching gravity.
The force acting on an object in free fall is simply its weight, which can be calculated using the formula:
\[
F = m \cdot g
\]
where:
- \( F \) is the force (in newtons),
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kg),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \(9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\)).
For a 1000 kg elevator:
\[
F = 1000 \, \text{kg} \cdot 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 = 9800 \, \text{N}
\]
So, the force on the 1000 kg elevator is \(9800 \, \text{N}\) downward due to gravity.
However, it's important to note that when the elevator is in free fall, the net force acting on it is zero, because it is in a state of free fall. The downward gravitational force is equal to the inertial force experienced by the elevator, so it would appear weightless to anyone inside it.
In summary, the gravitational force on the elevator is \(9800 \, \text{N}\), but the elevator is in free fall, experiencing no net force due to its own acceleration matching gravity.