Q) A spring balance inside a elevator has a pulley connected to it.The pulley has 1.5kg on one and 3kg on the other side.The elevator is going up with an accelaration of g/10.The pulley and string are light and the pulley is smooth.What is the reading of the spring balance.
Solution) Let m1 = 1.5kg
m2 = 3kg be the masses attached to the string passing over the pulley.
Acceleration of the string w.r.t elevator = a
If tension in hte string = T
Then we have following equations
m1(g + a) = T or 1.5 (g + a) = T
and m2 (g - a) = T or 3(g - a) = T
Solving which we obtain a= 10/3 m.s-2 and T = 20N
Thus force on the spring balance through which pulley is attached = 2T = 40N
40N of force is equivalen to mass M = 40/g = 4kg
Now when elevator is moving up with acceleration g/10, then effective force on the spring balance = M (g + g/10)
= 4 (10 + 1) = 44N
Thus reading on spring balance corresponds to mass of 44N that is = 44/g = 44/10 = 4.4 kg