Physics elevator question

Question

An elevator has an upward acceleration of 3.2 m/s^2. How much does an occupant of mass 80 kg weigh in Newtons while riding in the elevator?

Answer 1

Let us assume that this is an elevator somewhere near the surface of the earth. :)

If so, then we have an already present "acceleration" due to gravity of 9.8m/s². We add to that the upward acceleration of the elevator, 3..2m/s², to arrive at a net acceleration of 13m/s².

Once we know the total acceleration and the person's mass (80kg), calculating the net force is a trivial matter of employing the basic F=ma formula. In this case:

F = 80kg x 13m/s2 = 1040 N.