Question

An astronaut with a mass of `110 kg` is floating in space. If the astronaut throws an object with a mass of `6 kg` at a speed of `5/9 m/s`, how much will his speed change by?

Answer 1

`v_a=-1/33 m/s`

Explanation:

`"momentum before event=0"`
`"momentum after event must be zero"`
`0=110*v_a+6*5/9`
`0=110v_a+30/9`
`-110v_a=30/9`
`v_a=-30/990`

`v_a=-1/33 m/s`