Question

A 64 kg astronaut floating in space throws a 5.4 kg rock at 3.5 m/sec. How fast does the astronaut move backward?

Answer 1

v₁ = 0.29 [m/s]

Step-by-step explanation:

This problem can be solved by preserving the momentum. This can be represented by means of the following equation.

`m_(1)*v_(1)=m_(2)*v_(2)`

where:

m₁ = mass of the astronaut = 64 [kg]

v₁ = velocity of the astronaut [m/s]

m₂ = mass of the rock = 5.4 [kg]

v₂ = velocity of the rock = 3.5 [m/s]

Now replacing:

`64*v_(1)=5.4*3.5\\v_(1)=0.29[m/s]`