So this Friday I went to Andrew's house with Richard to study for PSAT (unbelievable fact in itself). So Andrew lives in an apartment complex where the elevator is a failure. One could simply hold the door closed with one's hands. By the way, Richard is inside feeling claustrophobic. The forces present in this situation are the static friction force between me and the ground, the static friction force between my hands and the elevator door, the force generated by a motor to open the door and the force I use to hold the door back. Since neither the door or I are moving, the acceleration is zero so the net force is zero. The force that I use to oppose the elevator door must be equal to the force that the motor inside the wall generates. Neither of these forces is enough to overcome the static friction force between me and the ground or the static friction force between my hands and the elevator door so I don't slide on the ground and my hands don't slide on the door. Andrew and Richard are my partners in crime.
We look like burglars, no?
(Jackson)