Question

Which of the following actions can Steve take in accordance with Newton's laws to return to the spaceship after being moved 62 meters away?

a) Apply a force in the opposite direction to the spaceship's displacement.
b) Wait for the spaceship to exert an equal and opposite force on him.
c) Use a propulsion device to create a force opposite to the direction of displacement.
d) Change his mass to counteract the displacement.

Answer 1

Steve can use a propulsion device to create a force opposite to the direction of displacement, corresponding to Newton's third law, which will allow him to return to the spaceship.

Step-by-step explanation:

To return to the spaceship after being moved 62 meters away, Steve can take the following action in accordance with Newton's laws: Use a propulsion device to create a force opposite the direction of displacement. This aligns with Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. By using a propulsion device, Steve can expel gas or another material in one direction, which will push him in the opposite direction toward the spaceship due to the reactive force.

Options such as 'waiting for the spaceship to exert an equal and opposite force' and 'changing his mass' do not provide practical solutions. The spaceship cannot exert a force on Steve without some interaction, and changing mass does not generate a force that would move Steve. Hence, the correct option is to use a propulsion device (such as a thruster or a gas canister) to generate the necessary reactive force.