Final answer:
To find how many 85 kg people can occupy an elevator with a maximum capacity of 1 metric ton, we divide 1,000 kg by 85 kg/person, resulting in 11.76470588. Since we can't have a fraction of a person, the elevator can safely hold 11 people.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many 85 kg people can safely occupy an elevator with a maximum capacity of 1 metric ton, we need to divide the total mass the elevator can carry by the mass of one person.
Since 1 metric ton is 1,000 kg, and each person has a mass of 85 kg, we perform the following calculation:
- 1,000 kg ÷ 85 kg/person = 11.76470588 persons
However, we cannot have a fraction of a person. Therefore, the maximum number of people that can safely occupy the elevator is the whole number part of our result, which is 11 people.