An astronaut in her space suit has a total mass m_1 = 77.0 kg, inducing suit and

Question

An astronaut in her space suit has a total mass m_1 = 77.0 kg, inducing suit and oxygen tank. Her tether line loses its attachment to her spacecraft while she's on a spacewalk. Initially at rest with respect to her spacecraft, she throws her oxygen tank of mass m_2 = 12.0 kg away from her spacecraft with a speed v = 8.50 m/s to propel herself back toward it (see figure). (a) Determine the maximum distance she can be from the craft and still return within 1.60 min (the amount of time the air in her helmet remains breathable). m (b) Explain in terms of ?Newton's laws of motion why this strategy works. The answer has not been graded yet.

Explanation / Answer

(A) Applying momentum conservation to find its recoil speed,

0 = ((77 - 12) v) - (12 x 8.50)

v = 1.57 m/s

t = 1.60 min = 1.60 x 60 s

d = v t = 150.65 m

(b) As astronaut push cylinder with force F.

then from Newton's 3rd law,

(every action has reaction of same magnitude but in opposite direction)

So, cylinder will also push the astronaut with force F in backward direction.

this is the force, that accelerated astronaut to the velocity that we calaculated above.

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