Answer:
The velocity of the astronaut is, v = - 0.36 m/s
Step-by-step explanation:
Given data,
The mass of the astronaut, M = 84 kg
The mass of the gas expelled by the thruster, m = 35 g
= 0.035 g
The velocity of the gas expelled, v = 875 m/s
According to the conservation of momentum,
MV + mv = 0
V = - mv / M
Substituting the values,
V = - 0.035 x 875 / 84
= - 0.36 m/s
The negative sign in the velocity indicates the astronaut moves opposite to the direction of velocity of gas.
Hence, the velocity of the astronaut is, v = - 0.36 m/s