Final answer:
The 4.4 kg mess kit sliding on a frictionless surface explodes due to internal tensions. The internal explosion conserves the momentum of the system, and on a frictionless surface, the center of mass velocity remains the same without external forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon in question involves a 4.4 kg mess kit sliding on a frictionless surface that explodes into two parts of equal mass, 2.2 kg each. The explosion is a result of internal tensions (c), as the other options (a, b, and d) do not typically lead to an explosion in this context. When dealing with explosions or collisions on a frictionless surface, we apply the conservation of momentum principle. The total momentum before the explosion must equal the total momentum after the explosion because the forces involved in the explosion are internal to the system.
In the example given, mass A (1.0 kg) sliding across a frictionless surface with a velocity of 4 m/s collides with mass B (1.0 kg) moving at -8 m/s. When they collide and stick together, the center-of-mass velocity of the system before and after the collision remains constant because the net external force acting on the system is zero. This is due to the fact that on a frictionless surface, there is no external force to change the system's momentum. The center of mass only changes velocity if a net external force acts on the system, as stated in Essential Knowledge 4.A.