An elevator weighing 6200 lb is pulled upward by a cable with an acceleration of 3.8 ft/s². (a) What is the tension in the cable? (b) What is the tension when the elevator is accelerating downward at 3.8 ft/s² but is still moving upward?

(a) The weight of the elevator in S.I units is:

To calculate the mass of elevator divide the magnitude weight of the elevator by the magnitude of acceleration due to gravity,

Therefore the tension in the elevator when it is moving with upward acceleration is 30,836.2 N .

Therefore the tension in the elevator when it is moving upward but with downward acceleration is 24,323.8 N .