elevator ride interactive background: imagine being in an elevator and riding from the 1st floor to 20th floor. you start from rest, speed up (maybe for a floor or two) until you get up to cruising speed. then you cruise for several floors until you are nearing your destination. as you near your destination, you slow down from cruising speed to a final stopping position (i.e., a zero speed). what would you feel during this time and why would you feel it? purpose: the purpose of this activity is to relate physics principles - newton's second law and free-body diagrams to the often-experienced motion of slowing down, moving at a constant speed, and speeding up on an elevator ride. to do: ride the elevator from the 1st floor to the 20th floor (or the 10th floor). ride it back down. repeat several times while making observations of the acceleration values, the free-body diagrams, and the rider's sensations. record observations in the data section below. repeat the process for a ride from the 20th floor to the 1st floor.