College Physics (4th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0073512141
ISBN 13: 978-0-07351-214-3

Chapter 4 - Conceptual Questions - Page 145: 7

Answer

If the object is accelerating, then the scale will show something other than the object's weight.

Work Step by Step

If the object is not accelerating, then the scale will show the object's weight. However, if the object is accelerating, then the scale will show something other than the object's weight. For example, if a person is standing on a scale in an elevator and the elevator is moving at a constant rate, then the sale will show the person's weight. However, if the elevator is accelerating upward, then the scale will show a value that is higher than the person's weight. If the elevator is accelerating downward, then the scale will show a value that is lower than the person's weight.
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