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The Physics Behind Elevators

Counter Weights In Elevators

-A counter weight is put on the opposite side of the car to balance the weight.

- It weighs around half the weight of the maximum capacity of the elevator car.

-The motor gives a nudge which tips the counter weight depending on the direction of the car .

-The motor stops either the counter weight or the car depending on the guidelines of the floors.

The counter weight

WHAT IS A FREE FALLING

ELEVATOR?

How an elevator works.

- An elevator that is about to crash is called a free falling elevator, which means that the only force acting on the elevator while falling, is gravity.

Surviving Free Falling Elevators (misconception)

- The most popular design for elevators would be the roped elevator design.

- A roped elevator design is basically where a car is raised and lowered by steel cables.

-Cables are attached to a sheave, which is a pulley system that is connected to an electric motor.

Forces involved with an elevator moving upwards.

-Many people believe that the key to surviving a elevator crash is to time a jump right before the elevator crashes.

-But when physicists examined this processes, they concluded that the reduction in force is actually small instead of significant as most people would think.

-Thus causing most people to jump and slam their head against the roof of the cart.

-Others believe that you should bend your knees and brace for impact.

-Very dangerous because as you hit the ground, you are exposed to an extreme quantity of gravitational force, making it impossible to support your own body weight.

- When accelerating upwards the support force, (applied force), is greater than the normal force.

-This is why you are able to accelerate upwards.

-Which also explains why you feel heavier on a elevator moving upwards.

Apparent Weight in an elevator

-People often use mass and weight inter-changeably.

- Mass is the amount of matter held within a body.

-Weight is the force of gravity exerted on an object. (mass x gravity).

- When using an elevator your true weight does not increase, it is your apparent weight

THANK YOU!

Ways to survive an elevator crash

Forces that act upon an Elevator.

Forces involved with an elevator moving downwards.

Apparent Weight Experiment

When accelerating downwards the support force, (applied force),is less than the normal force. Since the applied force is less than the normal, it allows your body to accelerate downwards with the elevator. which also explains why you feel lighter going down.

- Stack Suitcases or what ever you can find, and stand on top of them to create the least amount of space between you and the floor.

- This allows your body more time to decelerate once the bottom of the elevator hits ground.

- spread your weight across and hold onto any hand rails.

-This helps slow the rate of impact.

-In an elevator the forces are only acting in the vertical axis, as there is no motion in the horizontal.

-The velocity of an elevator never remains constant, as the elevator increases speed when taking passengers up or down, and slowdown when stopping.

-The overall forces acting on a stationary elevator include the force of tension from the steel ropes holding up the elevator and the force of gravity, which is pulling the elevator down.

-Piravienth

Q and A:

1) Name a part of an elevator that was mentioned.

2) Do you feel heavier going up or going down in an elevator?

3) What force(s) is/are acting on a free falling object?

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