A 50 kg man stands on a scale that measures force in an...

A 50 $\mathrm{kg}$ man stands on a scale that measures force in an elevator traveling up with an acceleration of $g / 4 .$ What will the scale read?
(A) 375 $\mathrm{N}$
(B) 500 $\mathrm{N}$
(C) 575 $\mathrm{N}$
(D) 625 $\mathrm{N}$

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Key Concepts

Newton's Second Law

This principle, summarized by the equation F = ma, states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. In problems involving accelerating systems, such as an elevator, it is used to relate the forces acting on the object—including gravitational and normal forces—to its acceleration.

Normal Force

The normal force is the force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object and act in a direction perpendicular to that surface. In the context of measuring weight on a scale, the normal force is the force that the scale reads, which can differ from the gravitational force when the system is accelerating.

Apparent Weight

Apparent weight is defined as the normal force experienced by an object, which can differ from its true gravitational weight when it is in an accelerating frame, such as an elevator. This concept explains why a scale reading can be higher or lower than the object’s actual weight depending on the direction and magnitude of the acceleration.

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