You stand on a bathroom scale in a moving elevator. what happens to the scale reading if the cable holding the elevator suddenly

A bathroom scale operates under gravitational influence. Typically, a reading is captured when your body applies force onto the scale. Yet in this scenario, as both you and the scale move downwards, your body ceases to press against the scale. Consequently, the result is:

<span>The scale reading will instantly drop to zero</span>

As soon as the cable of the elevator disconnects, the bathroom scale will show a reading of zero since the elevator descends with the same acceleration as gravity.

Further Explanation:

The scale placed in an elevator displays the weight of the individual standing on it. A person's weight reflects the force they experience due to Earth's gravitational pull.

As the scale is situated in an elevator, its reading is influenced by the elevator's acceleration, which creates an opposing pseudo force on the individual on the scale.

If the elevator's cables break unexpectedly, it will fall under the acceleration of gravity, resulting in the person feeling weightless in the elevator as the opposing force balances their weight. Thus, the bathroom scale reads zero at the moment the elevator's cable snaps.

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Answer Details:

Grade: High School

Chapter: Force and acceleration

Subject: Physics

Keywords: Bathroom scale, moving elevator, scale reading, gravity acceleration, cable break, weightlessness, pseudo force, opposing direction.