An astronaut with a mass of #85 kg# is floating in space. If the astronaut throws a #5 kg# object at a speed of #2/3 m/s#, how much will his speed change by?
1 Answer
Jan 8, 2018
Since he was initially at rest, his speed change and final speed are the same: -0.039 m/s.
Explanation:
System momentum is conserved.
Note: Forgetting that he originally had that 5 kg object with him is not a problem in this case because original velocity was zero. But if he had originally been moving, the original mass of 90 kg would have been a factor.
I hope this helps,
Steve