Question

A 75 kg astronaut has become detached from their her space ship. To get back to the ship she throws a tool in the opposite direction to the spaceship with a force of 16 N. What is her acceleration during the throw assuming that distances going away from the spaceship are positive?

Answer 1

0.21 m/s/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

Whenever there is an action force acting on a body, there will be a reaction force.

Here the force with which the astronaut throws the tool is given as 16 N.

Force is measured in newtons and is equal to the rate of change of momentum.

Since the astronaut has a mass, she experience a reaction force. It is given by F = ma, according to Newton's 2nd law.

16 = 75 a

⇒ Acceleration = a = F/m = 16/75 = 0.21 m/s/s