A person of mass stands at the rear of a canoe that is initially at rest on a frictionless
PHYSICS · Single correct · CBSE · Physics · System of Particles and Rotational Motion · System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Problem
A person of mass 70kg stands at the rear of a 30kg canoe that is initially at rest on a frictionless, still lake. The length of the canoe is 4m. The person walks to the front of the canoe and stops. Neglecting any interaction with the water, which statement best describes the horizontal motion of the center of mass of the person–canoe system with respect to the shore while the person is walking?
(a) It moves backward because the canoe recoils while the person walks forward.
(b) It remains at its original position because no external horizontal forces act on the system.
(c) It first moves forward while the person is walking and then returns to its original position after the person stops.
(d) It moves forward and comes to rest closer to the shore because the person is heavier than the canoe.