Question

You are standing on a scale inside an elevator. The scale reads 59 percent of your weight. What is the acceleration of the elevator?(Define positive y upward

explain how to do it please

Answer 1

OK first, what direction does the elevator need to be going for you to be lighter?

Answer 2

^^^^ down

Answer 3

Answer 5.79 m/s^2 if using 9.81 m/s^2 for gravity
5.9 m/s^2 if using 10m/s^2 for gravity.

Answer 4

How to solve: Give a fictional weight to your situation, lets say you weigh 50kg, now what weight would the scale normal say in Newtons?

F=mg=(10)(50)=500N (using 10 for gravity)
now multiply that by the % of weight it reads, which is 59%, so .59

500 x (.59) = 295N therefore

F=ma=295N
(50kg)(a) = 295N
a = 295/50
a = 5.9 m/s^2