Question

A man is standing on a scale inside an elevator. For each of the following statements, tell whether the reading on the scale would be greater than, less than, or equal to the weight of the man standing still.

Answer 1

The reading on the scale in an elevator is greater than the man's weight when the elevator starts up and when it moves upward at a constant speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an elevator, the reading on the scale will depend on the acceleration or velocity of the elevator. When the elevator starts up, the scale reading will be greater than the man's weight because the scale is pushing up on the person with a force greater than his weight to accelerate him upward. Similarly, when the elevator moves upward at a constant speed, the scale reading will still be greater than the man's weight because the scale needs to exert an upward force to counteract the downward force due to gravity.