Question

An elevator brimming with tourists has a mass of:

a) Only the tourists' combined mass
b) Only the elevator's mass
c) Both elevator and tourists' combined mass
d) Neither elevator nor tourists' mass

Answer 1

The mass of an elevator filled with tourists includes both the elevator's own mass and the combined mass of the tourists. This total mass is relevant when calculating forces such as the tension in the elevator's cable during various phases of motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of an elevator brimming with tourists includes both the elevator's mass and the tourists' combined mass. When dealing with the forces in an elevator, such as when calculating the tension in the supporting cable, both these masses are important and are summed together for calculations. As an example, if an elevator filled with passengers has a mass of 1700 kg and accelerates upward, the tension in the cable can be calculated using the mass of the elevator system including the tourists.