Aline and Charlie Are Arguing as to Whether or Not

question 43

Multiple Choice

Aline and Charlie are arguing as to whether or not it is possible in principle for an elevator to have an acceleration of magnitude greater than . In the course of their discussion they come up with the statements below. Which one is correct?

• A)No, because once reaches , the elevator is in free fall.
• B)No, because an acceleration greater than is not possible.
• C)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than when the cable breaks.
• D)Yes, because it can reach an acceleration greater than if the motor is strong enough.
• E)No, because it cannot exceed its terminal acceleration.

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Definitions:

Exponent

In mathematics, a number indicating how many times a base is to be multiplied by itself.

Binomial

A polynomial expression that contains exactly two terms, typically written in the form a+b.

Simplify

To make an expression less complex by combining like terms and executing arithmetic operations where possible.

Fraction

A numerical quantity that represents a part of a whole, typically in the form of a numerator divided by a denominator.