Final answer:
In an accelerating elevator, the apparent weight of a person increases. An 89 kg person's weight would read 1043.89 N in an elevator accelerating upward at 3.5 m/s², due to the additional force required to accelerate the person along with the elevator.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Physics, specifically relating to the concept of forces in motion. When dealing with a person’s weight in an accelerating elevator, one must consider the force exerted by the elevator on the person and vice versa. This force can be calculated using Newton’s second law, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).
First, we calculate the weight of the person (which is the force due to gravity) using the acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.81 m/s²). The weight (W) would be W = mg = (89 kg)(9.81 m/s²) = 872.89 N (Newtons). Then, to find the total force on the person while the elevator is accelerating upward, we add the product of the person’s mass and the elevator’s acceleration to their weight. The total force (Ft) is Ft = W + ma = 872.89 N + (89 kg)(3.5 m/s²) = 1043.89 N.
Thus, the scale would read 1043.89 N, indicating that an accelerating elevator increases the apparent weight that the scale reads.