Apparent Weight or The mystery

of the Bathroom Scale

Poopsie Moomfard Jr. III, a 100 kg lad, decided to investigate the
mystery of the bathroom scale by taking it into the elevator. He
rode the elevator up and down carefully noting the numbers on
the scale. We will follow Poopsie on his journey helping him along
to make sense out of his observations. Mr. Moomfard wants to
know once and for all what the bathroom scale shows.
Is it: weight, mass, or some other force?
Poopsie knows, of course, that his weight doesn't change. So, lets
calculate Poopsie’s weight to start our investigation…

Weight = Fg = m · g = (100)(9.8) = 980 N

This is Poopsie’s TRUE WEIGHT!

Apparent Weight or The mystery
of the Bathroom Scale
Poopsie

= =
SCALE

This magnificent elevator accelerates at 2.0 m/s2

 Fg = 980 N
Case 1
Motion: ∑Fy = m · ay
V=0 FN - Fg = (100) · (0)
FBD: FN - 980 = 0
a=0 FN = 980 N
y FN
FN is called the
SCALE apparent weight.
x

FN is the reading Fg
of the bathroom FN = F g
scale. Apparent Weight = True Weight
 Fg = 980 N
Case 2
Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
FN FN - Fg = (100) · (2.0)
y FN - 980 = (100) · (2.0)
V a FN = 1,180 N

SCALE

Fg
FN > F g
Apparent Weight > True Weight
 Fg = 980 N
Case 3
Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
FN - Fg = (100) · (0)
y FN FN - 980 = 0
V=const. FN = 980 N
a=0
SCALE

Fg
FN = Fg
Apparent Weight = True Weight
 Fg = 980 N
Case 4
Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
FN - Fg = (100) · (-2.0)
y FN - 980 = (100) · (-2.0)
V a FN = 780 N
FN
SCALE

Fg
FN < Fg
Apparent Weight < True Weight
 Fg = 980 N
Case 5
Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
FN - Fg = (100) · (-2.0)
y FN - 980 = (100) · (-2.0)
V a FN = 780 N
FN
SCALE

Fg
FN < Fg
Apparent Weight < True Weight
 Fg = 980 N

What if the cable breaks and

Case 5a the elevator starts free falling?
Motion

V a=?
SCALE

x
 Fg = 980 N

Case 5a Cable breaks and the elevator starts free falling…

Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
F N? FN - Fg = (100) · (-9.8)
y FN - 980 = (100) · (-9.8)
V a= g FN = 0 N
SCALE

Fg FN = 0 N
Apparent Weight = ZERO!!!
 Fg = 980 N
Case 6
Motion:

FBD: ∑Fy = m · ay
FN FN - Fg = (100) · (2.0)
y FN - 980 = (100) · (2.0)
V a FN = 1,180 N

SCALE

Fg
FN > Fg
Apparent Weight > True Weight
Apparent Weight or The mystery
of the Bathroom Scale
The bathroom scale shows…the normal force
(force of the scale on person)!

However, the number we read on the bathroom

scale is shown as mass:
FN/9.80 = MASS [kg]…
Conversions:
1 kg = 2.2 lb. talking about pound mass!
1 kg = 4.45 lb. talking about pound-force (weight)!

…confused yet?

Long Live English System of Measurements!

NOT!!!
Physics!