2. You walk into what looks like an ordinary elevator, holding your bathroom sca

Question

2. You walk into what looks like an ordinary elevator, holding your bathroom scale (as you do every morning), and press a random button. However, you should never have assumed that anything in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory was ordinary. When you press the button, the doors swing closed and the elevator goes hurtling sideways. You jump in your surprise, and, to your even greater surprise, you don’t come back down, but are instead stuck to the wall of the elevator. The coefficient of static friction between you and the elevator wall is µs = 0.6.

(a) Draw a free-body diagram that shows this situation.What are the relevant forces, and how big are they? Calculate the sum of the forces in the x and y directions. Feel free to express things in terms of variables if you don’t have enough information yet.

Explanation / Answer

acceleration of the lift = a (sideways) friction keeps you from coming down, friction balances your weight. friction =µN , where N is the normal reaction to the surface only horizontal force is due to the acceleration of lift sideways N = ma friction balances mg µma= mg a=g/µ =9.8/0.6 =16.33m/s2

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