During an experiment a student inside a lift stands on a newton balance - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 5 - 2022
Question 5
During an experiment a student inside a lift stands on a newton balance.
The mass of the student is 50.0 kg.
The lift accelerates upwards at 1.2 m s².
The reading o... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:During an experiment a student inside a lift stands on a newton balance - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 5 - 2022
Step 1
Calculate the weight of the student
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Answer
To find the weight of the student, we use the formula for weight:
W=mimesg
where:
W is the weight,
m is the mass of the student (50.0 kg), and
g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²).
Calculating this gives:
W=50.0imes9.81=490.5extN
Step 2
Account for the acceleration of the lift
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Answer
Since the lift accelerates upwards at 1.2 m/s², we adjust the weight calculation to include this acceleration. The effective force acting on the student (the reading on the balance) is given by:
F=m(g+a)
where:
a is the upward acceleration (1.2 m/s²).
Substituting in the values gives:
F=50.0imes(9.81+1.2)=50.0imes11.01=550.5extN
Step 3
Determine the answer from given options
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Answer
Rounding down, the reading on the newton balance would approximate to 550 N, which corresponds to option D.
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