Understanding the Concepts
* Free Fall: An object in free fall experiences only the force of gravity acting on it. This means no other forces (like air resistance) are significant.
* Newton's Second Law: This law states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration (F = ma).
Calculation
1. Mass: The elevator has a mass (m) of 1140 kg.
2. Acceleration due to Gravity: The acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s².
3. Force: Using Newton's Second Law:
* F = ma
* F = (1140 kg) * (9.8 m/s²)
* F ≈ 11172 N (Newtons)
Therefore, the force on the 1140 kg elevator falling freely under the acceleration of gravity is approximately 11172 Newtons.
