An 88 kg worker stands on a bathroom scale in a motionless elevator. When the elevator begins to move, the scale reads 900 N. Find the magnitude and direction of the elevator's acceleration.

The magnitude is "3.8 m/s²", in the upward direction.

Explanation:

The given values are:

Mass,

m = 88 kg

Scale reads,

T = 900 N

As we know,

⇒  

On substituting the given values, we get

⇒      

⇒      

Now,

⇒  

On substituting the given values in the above equation, we get

⇒  

On subtracting "862.4" from both sides, we get

⇒  

⇒              

⇒                  

⇒                   (upward direction)

neither accurate nor precise.

force is based upon mass and acceleration.the statement is not always true.

it can be explained from newton's second law of motion.

as per newton's second law of motion the rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the applied force and takes place along the direction of force.

mathematically it can be written as -

                                              ⇒      

here   k is the proportionality constant whose value is 1.

                                                            [a is the acceleration=dv/dt]

hence we see that force not only depends on mass and acceleration but also on velocity and rate of change of mass. force f will depend on mass and acceleration only when mass is constant.

hence the statement that force is based upon mass and acceleration is false.