Practice portal › Laws of Motion › Newton's Laws and Free-Body Diagrams

A man weighs 80 kg. He stands on a weighing scale in a lift which is moving upwards with a uniform acceleration of 5 m/s². What would be the reading on the scale? (g=10 m/s²)

Asked in AIPMT 2003 · Lifts, spring balances and apparent weight

Answer: (4) 1200 N

Step-by-step solution

Given: m=80 kg, a=5 m/s² upwards, g=10 m/s².

Idea: the scale reads the normal force it pushes up with, not the weight.

Newton's second law for the man: N-mg=ma.

N=m(g+a).

N=80×(10+5).

N=80×15=1200 N.

The reading is larger than the 800 N he weighs at rest, as it must be while the lift speeds upwards.

Why the other options are wrong

More Newton's Laws and Free-Body Diagrams questionsAll Newton's Laws and Free-Body Diagrams questions →

Reading this solution needs no sign-in. You only sign in to practise against the clock and keep your progress.

Practise this with a timer