You are standing on a bathroom scale in an elevator (yes people are staring at you). You weigh 50 kg but the scale reads in Newtons. Weight (force of Gravity) = Mass x Gravity (10m/s2) As the elevator comes up on the ground floor it decelerates at 2 m/s2 downward. What is the Gravitational Force?
Gravitational force
In nature, every object is attracted by every other object. This phenomenon is called gravity. The force associated with gravity is called gravitational force. The gravitational force is the weakest force that exists in nature. The gravitational force is always attractive.
Acceleration Due to Gravity
In fundamental physics, gravity or gravitational force is the universal attractive force acting between all the matters that exist or exhibit. It is the weakest known force. Therefore no internal changes in an object occurs due to this force. On the other hand, it has control over the trajectories of bodies in the solar system and in the universe due to its vast scope and universal action. The free fall of objects on Earth and the motions of celestial bodies, according to Newton, are both determined by the same force. It was Newton who put forward that the moon is held by a strong attractive force exerted by the Earth which makes it revolve in a straight line. He was sure that this force is similar to the downward force which Earth exerts on all the objects on it.
You are standing on a bathroom scale in an elevator (yes people are staring at you). You weigh 50 kg but the scale reads in Newtons.
Weight (force of Gravity) = Mass x Gravity (10m/s2)
As the elevator comes up on the ground floor it decelerates at 2 m/s2 downward.
- What is the Gravitational Force?
- Since the elevator is decelerating downward does the Normal Force have to be greater than, equal to or less than the Force of Gravity?
- Are the forces balanced or unbalanced?
- Draw a free body diagram of the forces acting on you. Be sure to draw the size of your arrows appropriately.
- What is the Net Force, using Newton’s 2nd Law, while the elevator is decelerating downward?
- What is the Normal Force?
- What does the scale read as the elevator is decelerating downward?
- What pattern did you notice occurred between all of the different scenarios?
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