An elevator is accelerating upward at a rate of 6ft/sec^2 when a bolt from its ceiling falls to the floor of the lift at distance 9.5ft. the time taken by the falling bolt to hit the floor is (take g=32ft/sec^3)?

1 Answer
Jul 2, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

Calling

alpha the elevator/referential acceleration
g gravity acceleration.
Delta t elapsed time before landing.
h floor distance.

we have

1/2(alpha+g)(Delta t)^2 = h so

Delta t = sqrt((2h)/(alpha+g))