What occurs when the elevator accelerates downward in terms of the upward force on a man’s feet?

When an elevator accelerates downward, the net effect on a person's feet is a decrease in the upward normal force exerted by the elevator floor. In this scenario, the person still experiences the force of gravity acting downwards, which is equal to their weight. However, since the elevator is accelerating downward, the effective force that the man feels through his feet—often referred to as the normal force—will be less than the weight.

This situation can be understood through Newton's second law of motion. The net force acting on the person in the downward accelerating frame is less than the gravitational force. Mathematically, if we denote the weight as ( W = mg ) (where ( m ) is mass and ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity), the resulting force from the normal reaction in the elevator can be expressed as:

[ F_{\text{normal}} = W - ma ]

where ( a ) is the downward acceleration of the elevator. Since the elevator is moving down, the acceleration ( a ) is positive when considering the downward direction, thus reducing the normal force compared to the weight acting on the man.

As a result, rather than experiencing the full weight through his feet, the man feels a lesser