Question

Blake stands in a canoe in the middle of a lake. The canoe is stationary. Blake holds an anchor mass of 15 kg, then throws it west with a speed of 8 m/s. Blake and the canoe have a combined mass of 135 kg.

a. the system is defined as Blake, the canoe, and the anchor. What is the total momentum of the system before he throws the anchor?
b. what is the total momentum of the system after he throws the anchor?
c. what is the velocity of the canoe after he throws the anchor?

Answer 1

Before Blake throws the anchor, the momentum of the system is zero. After he throws the anchor, the momentum of the system is still zero and the canoe remains stationary.

Step-by-step explanation:

a. Before Blake throws the anchor, the total momentum of the system is zero since both Blake and the canoe are stationary. The formula to calculate momentum is mass times velocity, so the momentum is given by 0 kg m/s.

b. After Blake throws the anchor, the total momentum of the system is still zero. The anchor has a negative velocity since it is thrown west, which cancels out the positive velocity of Blake and the canoe.

c. Since the total momentum of the system is zero after Blake throws the anchor, the velocity of the canoe is also zero. It remains stationary.