A boy stands on a scale in an elevator (lift) while it is stopped and the scale reads 40 kg. What will the scale display when the elevator begins to ascend?
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When the boy is on the ground only 'acceleration due to gravity' is acting on him so his weight is simply
Mass * Acceleration due to gravity
But when the lift started moving up there is one more acceleration acting on the body due to his inertia, in the direction opposite to the motion. so now the new weight is
Mass * (Acceleration due to gravity + Acceleration due to inertia)