Question

Tony (of mass 75 kg) coasts on his bicycle (of mass 20 kg) at a constant speed of 6 m/s, carrying a 5 kg pack. Tony throws his pack forward, in the direction of his motion, at 3 m/s relative to the speed of the bicycle just before the throw. What is the momentum of the system after the pack is thrown?

Answer 1

The momentum of the system after the pack is thrown can be calculated by summing the momenta of Tony, the bicycle, and the pack.

Step-by-step explanation:

The momentum of a system is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. In this question, we need to find the momentum of the system after the pack is thrown by Tony on his bicycle.

Before the pack is thrown, the total momentum of the system is the sum of the momentum of Tony, the bicycle, and the pack. The momentum of Tony is calculated as the product of his mass and velocity, which is 75 kg times 6 m/s. The momentum of the bicycle is 20 kg times 6 m/s. And the momentum of the pack is 5 kg times 3 m/s, relative to the speed of the bicycle.

The total momentum of the system before the pack is thrown is the sum of these three momenta. After the pack is thrown, the total momentum of the system remains the same because there are no external forces acting on the system. Therefore, the momentum of the system after the pack is thrown is also the sum of the momenta of Tony, the bicycle, and the pack, which can be calculated using the given values.