In an elevator system, the acceleration depends on the net force acting on the elevator, which is influenced by the weight of the elevator itself and the counterweight.
If you reduce the size of the counterweight, the effective load (or unbalanced force) on the elevator would increase. This change means that the elevator will experience a greater net force in the downward direction, leading to greater acceleration in the upward direction when the elevator is moving up or a lesser acceleration when moving down, depending on the configuration.
So, if you consider an elevator moving upwards, the lesser counterweight would result in:
Greater acceleration upward (because the net downward force increases).
Conversely, if it's moving downwards, the lesser counterweight would lead to:
Lesser acceleration downward.
Therefore, the answer would depend on the direction of movement:
- For upward movement, greater acceleration.
- For downward movement, lesser acceleration.
If you are looking for a simplified answer regarding the elevator moving upwards, a smaller counterweight typically results in greater acceleration.