A weight hangs by a spring scale from the ceiling of an elevator. In which of the following cases will the reading of the spring scale he greatest:(a) elevator at rest; (b) elevator rising with uniform speed; (c) elevator descending with decreasing speed; (d) elevator descending with increasing speed? In which will it be the least?

As we stand in an elevator that is accelerating upward, the floor exerts a force on us that is greater than the pull of gravity and so we feel as if our weight increases. When the elevator accelerates downward, we feel as if our weight has become smaller. Since the woman stands on a spring scale in an elevator, therefore scale reading increases if the elevator is accelerating upward and decreases if the elevator is accelerating downward. Therefore scale record the minimum reading when (d) when the elevator is accelerating downward and maximum reading when (c) when the elevator is accelerating upward.