Question

When you ride a fast elevator upward, you feel slightly heavier as the trip begins and slightly lighter as the trip ends. How is this phenomenon related to the equivalence principle?

Answer 1

The feeling of being heavier or lighter in a fast elevator ride is related to the equivalence principle in physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenomenon of feeling slightly heavier at the beginning and lighter at the end of a fast elevator ride is related to the equivalence principle in physics. The feeling of being heavier or lighter in a fast elevator ride is related to the equivalence principle in physics. The equivalence principle states that there is no difference between a uniform gravitational field and a uniform acceleration in the absence of gravity.

In the case of the elevator, when it accelerates upward, you feel heavier because the scale reading is greater than your actual weight. When the elevator accelerates downward or reaches a constant upward velocity, you feel lighter because the scale reading is less than your weight.