A man weighing 70 kg is coming down in a lift. If the cable of the lif

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

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70 kg

35 kg

140 kg

Zero

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2016

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The weight of the man would become zero.

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.

If the lift were accelerating upwards, the apparent weight would be greater than his actual weight. If the lift were accelerating downwards at a rate less than g, his apparent weight would be less than his actual weight but greater than zero. If the lift were stationary or moving at constant velocity, his apparent weight would equal his actual weight.

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