How much work with cables question How much work is needed for ten cables that each weigh 0.54 lb/in. lift a 3000 lb television set 500 feet? Cables work together and equally share in the weight of the tv set.
All I got was the weight part which is 500*3000 = 1500000 ft lbs. I'm lost after that..

Work = Force applied $\times$ distance. So thats all . The  force of gravity upon the elevator is its weight $mg$ to counter this the resultant force by the ropes should be equal and opposite to gravitational force. The resultant force of 10 cables will be equal to elevator's weight.
Edit: The question seems tricky. But reading competently "How much work is needed for ten cables....   ....Cables work together...." means the cables are applying force to the TV, the TV has risen through 500 feet. The total length of the cables is not mentioned. All we know is that there is some external agency(cables for the present case) which is able to provide sufficient force(weight mg of TV) to rise the point of application of force( i.e.TV). So we are to find the amount of work done on the TV by the cables.
