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An elevator brimming with passengers has a mass of 1950 kg.

a)The elevator accelerates upward (in the positive direction) from rest at a rate of 1.95 m/s² for 2.45 s. Calculate the tension in the cable supporting the elevator in newtons.

User Krekkon
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Final answer:

The tension in the cable supporting an accelerating elevator is calculated using Newton's second law. For an elevator with a mass of 1950 kg and an upward acceleration of 1.95 m/s², the tension is 22912.5 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the tension in the cable supporting an elevator during its acceleration, we need to use Newton's second law, which is F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. The net force on the elevator is the tension in the cable minus the gravitational force (weight), so the tension T can be found using the equation T = mg + ma, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²).

Given the mass of the elevator m is 1950 kg and it accelerates upward at 1.95 m/s², the gravitational force (weight) is mg = 1950 kg × 9.8 m/s². The additional force due to acceleration is ma = 1950 kg × 1.95 m/s². Adding these together:

T = (1950 kg × 9.8 m/s²) + (1950 kg × 1.95 m/s²)

T = 19110 N + 3802.5 N

T = 22912.5 N

Therefore, the tension in the cable is 22912.5 N while the elevator accelerates upward.

User Szymon Rut
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