A man weighing 70 kg is coming down in a lift. If the cable of the lift breaks suddenly, the weight of the man would become
70 kg
35 kg
140 kg
Zero
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2016
Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object’s mass (W = mg). Apparent weight is the normal force exerted by the supporting surface on the object. When the lift cable breaks, the lift and everything inside it are in free fall, accelerating downwards at the acceleration due to gravity (g). In a state of free fall, there is no supporting force counteracting gravity. Therefore, the apparent weight of the man (the force exerted by the lift floor on him) becomes zero. This is the sensation of weightlessness. His actual weight (mass * g) remains the same, but his apparent weight is zero.