How much power did the elevator use?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the calculation of power used by an elevator lifting a person. To find the power, we can use the formula: Power = Work / Time. The work done can be calculated as the weight of the person multiplied by the distance lifted.
Answer
The elevator used $550 \, \text{W}$ of power.
Answer for screen readers
The power used by the elevator is $550 , \text{W}$.
Steps to Solve
- Understanding the formula for power
To find the power used by the elevator, we can use the formula: $$ \text{Power} = \frac{\text{Work}}{\text{Time}} $$
- Calculating the work done
Work can be calculated by: $$ \text{Work} = \text{Weight} \times \text{Distance} $$
Given:
- Weight = 550 N
- Distance = 5 m
Calculating work: $$ \text{Work} = 550 , \text{N} \times 5 , \text{m} = 2750 , \text{J} $$
- Calculating the time taken
The time given is 5 seconds.
- Putting it all together
Now, substitute the work and time into the power formula: $$ \text{Power} = \frac{2750 , \text{J}}{5 , \text{s}} $$
- Final calculation of power
Performing the division: $$ \text{Power} = 550 , \text{W} $$
The power used by the elevator is $550 , \text{W}$.
More Information
This result shows that the elevator operates at a power level of 550 watts while lifting the person 5 meters in 5 seconds. Power in watts (W) measures how quickly work is done.
Tips
- Confusing work with energy: Work is the energy transferred when a force moves an object over a distance.
- Misreading units: Ensure that you convert units correctly if they are given in different systems. In this problem, everything is already in SI units.
AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information
