Question

A 44.0 kg man stands on a bathroom scale in an elevator. Starting from rest, the elevator ascends, attaining its maximum speed of 1.90 m/s in 1.19 s. It travels with this constant speed in the upward direction for the next 7.60 s. The elevator then slows down (undergoes a uniform acceleration in the negative y direction) for 2.15 s and comes to rest. What does the bathroom scale register before the elevator starts to move? Answer in units of N. (Hint: What is the velocity of the elevator then?)

Answer 1

The elevator has not moved yet, so the normal force and the force of the man's weight are equal. The answer is 431.2 N
n - mg = ma
n - mg = 0, so
n = mg
n = 44.0*9.8
n = 431.2