Final answer:
The question asks us to use conservation of momentum to determine the mass of the person after throwing a ball on an icy pond. Using the given velocities and the mass of the ball, we can apply the principle to find the mass of the person.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves applying the principle of conservation of momentum in the context of throwing an object. When you throw a 0.5 kg ball at 40 m/s and subsequently move back at 0.4 m/s, the conservation of momentum dictates that the product of the mass and velocity (momentum) before and after the throwing must be equal, assuming no external forces are acting on the system.
Here's the equation based on conservation of momentum:
Initial total momentum = Final total momentum
(0.5 kg) × (40 m/s) = (Mass of person + Mass of ball) × (0.4 m/s)
Since we're looking for the mass of the person (assuming the person and the ball were initially stationary), we use algebra to solve for the mass of the person. Note that the mass of the ball is also included on both sides of the equation because it's part of the system both before and after throwing.
If you're looking for numerical answers or additional conceptual explanation for specific questions not covered by this explanation, please provide additional details or the exact question as presented in your assignment.