Question

A(n) 60.9 kg astronaut becomes separated

from the shuttle, while on a space walk. She
finds herself 36.5 m away from the shuttle
and moving with zero speed relative to the
shuttle. She has a(n) 0.928 kg camera in her
hand and decides to get back to the shuttle
by throwing the camera at a speed of 12 m/s
in the direction away from the shuttle.
How long will it take for her to reach the
shuttle? Answer in minutes.
Answer in units of min.

Answer 1

m v = M V conservation of momentum after throwing camera

V = m * v / M = .928 * 12 / 60.9 = .183 m/s

t = S / V = 36.5 / .183 = 199 sec = 3.32 min