All questions
AP Physics C: Mechanics
2.5 Newton’s Second Law
2.2 Forces and Free-Body Diagrams
AdvancedMCQMathematicalConceptual21.9k
A vertical rectangular enclosure representing a test cab with a flat ceiling and a flat floor. Attached to the center of the ceiling is a small vertical coil spring representing an ideal spring scale, with a square mass labeled Block 1 suspended directly beneath it. On the floor of the enclosure rests a flat, wide rectangular base representing an ideal platform scale, with an identical square mass labeled Block 2 resting centered on its upper surface. To the right of the enclosure, a single vertical coordinate axis arrow points upward, labeled +y. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.
Schematic of the test cab containing the suspended and supported blocks.
A research elevator cab ascends along a vertical axis where the positive y-direction is defined as upward. Inside the cab, two identical blocks of mass m are monitored: Block 1 is suspended from an ideal spring scale attached to the ceiling, and Block 2 rests on an ideal platform scale fixed to the floor. The vertical position of the cab as a function of time is given by \(y(t) = b t^2 - c t^3\), where b and c are positive constants such that \(b < g\). At time \(t_1 = \dfrac{b}{2c}\), which of the following correctly compares the scale readings \(F_{\text{spring}}\) and \(F_{\text{platform}}\) to the true gravitational weight mg, and indicates the direction of the blocks' instantaneous acceleration vector \(\vec{a}\)?

Log In to Continue

Accounts are free! Log in to try this question, see explanations, save progress, and more!

Tools for a 5