I have a Physics problem but I think it involves 
conversion. Can anyone help? A 160 lb. person has 
a mass of 160/32 = 5 slugs. A 160 lb. person steps 
into an elevator and stands on a bathroom scale. 
Determine the scale reading if the elevator is 

a. accelerating upwards

It will read more than 160 lbs.   That's all you 
can say without knowing the rate of acceleration 
of the elevator.


b.the elevator cable breaks 

It reads whatever it read at the moment the cable 
broke, for everything is then falling at the same 
rate of acceleration 32 ft/sec².

I think you've not stated everything that was 
given in the problem.

Edwin