Question

In an ice skating show, a clown throws a 10.3 kg chair with a speed of 6.72 m/s. If the clown recoils with a speed of 0.143 m/s, what is the mass of the clown (assume friction is negligable)?

Answer 1

The clown's mass can be determined using the principle of conservation of momentum. The mass of the clown is 10.3 kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of an object can be determined using the principle of conservation of momentum. In this case, the momentum of the clown before throwing the chair is equal to the momentum of the clown-chair system after the throw.

The momentum of an object is given by the formula P = mv, where P is the momentum, m is the mass, and v is the velocity. Considering the clockwise direction as positive, we can write the equation as:

(-m_clown)(v_clown_initial) = (m_clown + m_chair)(v_clown_final)

Substituting the given values, we have:

(-m_clown)(0.143 m/s) = (m_clown + 10.3 kg)(-0.143 m/s)

Expanding and rearranging the equation, we get:

0.143 m_clown = -10.3 kg × -0.143 m/s

Simplifying further, we find:

m_clown = -10.3 kg × -0.143 m/s / 0.143 m/s

Therefore, the mass of the clown is 10.3 kg.