Name:

Period:

Elevator Problems Worksheet

UNIT V: Worksheet 1
Modeling Workshop Pro e!t "##" $ Unit I Tea!her Notes v"%#

1. An elevator is moving up at a constant velocity of 2.5 m/s, as illustrated in the diagram below: The man has a mass of 5 !g. a. To the right, construct a force diagram for the man.

b. "hat force does the floor e#ert on the man$

2. The elevator now accelerates upward at 2.% m/s2. a. To the right, construct a force diagram for the man. b. "hat force does the floor now e#ert on the man$

&. 'pon reaching the top of the building, the elevator slows down (accelerates downward) at &.% m/s 2. a. To the right, construct a force diagram for the man. b. "hat force does the floor now e#ert on the man$

*. "hile descending in the elevator, the cable suddenly brea!s. "hat is the force of the floor on the man$

5. +onsider the situation where a person that has a mass of , !g is descending in an elevator at a constant velocity of *.% m/s. At some time -t-, the elevator starts to slow to a stop at the rate of 2.% m/s 2. a. +onstruct quantitative force diagrams (include magnitudes) for the person in the elevator as it descends at (a) constant speed and (b) during its period of acceleration.

,. .f the person in the elevator were standing on a bathroom scale calibrated in /ewton0s, what would the scale read while the elevator was: a. descending at constant speed$

b. while slowing to a stop$

1. 2#plain why the scale reads the values you provided in the previous 3uestion.

UNIT V: Worksheet "

4or each of the problems below, you must begin your solution with a force diagram. 5ome re3uire more than one diagram. +learly show all your wor! on each 3uestion. 1. A *,%% !g helicopter accelerates upward at 2.% m/s2. "hat lift force is e#erted by the air on the propellers$

2. The ma#imum force that a grocery bag can withstand without ripping is 25% /. 5uppose that the bag is filled with 2% !g of groceries and lifted with an acceleration of 5.% m/s 2. 6o the groceries stay in the bag$

&. A student, standing on a scale in an elevator at rest, sees that his weight is *% /. As the elevator rises, his weight increases to 1%5% /, then returns to normal. "hen the elevator slows to a stop at the 1%th floor, his weight drops to 5 /, and then returns to normal. 6etermine the acceleration at the beginning and end of the trip.

*. A sign in an elevator states that the ma#imum occupancy is 2% persons. 5uppose that the safety engineers assume the mass of the average rider is 15 !g. The elevator itself has a mass of 5%% !g. The cable supporting the elevator can tolerate a ma#imum force of &%,%%% /. "hat is the greatest acceleration that the elevator0s motor can produce without snapping the cable$

&

For these problems, you will have to use kinematics formulas as well as Newtons 2nd Law. 5. A race car has a mass of 11% !g. .t starts from rest and travels *%.%m in &.%s. The car is uniformly accelerated during the entire time. "hat net force is acting on the car$

,. 5uppose that a 1%%% !g car is traveling at 25 m/s (755 mph). .ts bra!es can apply a force of 5%%%/. "hat is the minimum distance re3uired for the car to stop$

1. A ,5 !g person dives into the water from the 1% m platform. a. "hat is her speed as she enters the water$

b. 5he comes to a stop 2.% m below the surface of the water. "hat net force did the water e#ert on the swimmer$

. 6uring a head8on collision, a passenger in the front seat of a car accelerates from 1&.& m/s (7&% miles/hour) to rest in %.1% s. a. "hat is the acceleration of the passenger$

b. The driver of the car holds out his arm to !eep his 25 !g child (who is not wearing a seat belt) from smashing into the dashboard. "hat force must he e#ert on the child$

c. "hat is the weight of the child$

d. +onvert these forces from / to pounds (divide /ewtons by *.*5 to get pounds). "hat are the chances the driver will be able to stop the child$