Problem

A simple elevator consists of a 15,000 kg car A connected to a 12,000 kg counterweight B....

A simple elevator consists of a 15,000 kg car A connected to a 12,000 kg counterweight B. Suppose that a failure occurs when the car is at rest and 50 m above its buffer, causing the elevator car to fall. Model the car and the counterweight as particles and the cord as massless and inextensible; and model the action of the emergency brakes using a Coulomb friction model with kinetic friction coefficient µk = 0.5 and a normal force equal to 35% of the car’s weight. Determine the speed with which the car impacts the buffer.