An astronaut with a mass of #95# #kg# is floating in space. If the astronaut throws an object with a mass of #2# #kg# at a speed of #7/8# #ms^-1#, how much will his speed change by?
1 Answer
Jun 27, 2017
The astronaut will have the same momentum in the opposite direction to the thrown object. Given his greater mass, this means his speed will change from
Explanation:
The overall momentum is zero before the object is thrown, and must be zero afterward.
The momentum of the thrown object will be
The momentum of the astronaut will have the same magnitude in the opposite direction:
Rearranging: