PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
An astronaut of mass 80kg is floating in deep space, initially at rest relative to an inertial reference frame. She is holding two identical toolboxes, each of mass 10kg. Neglect any forces other than those exerted by the astronaut and the toolboxes on each other.
(a) The astronaut throws one toolbox directly forward so that, relative to herself at the instant of release, the toolbox gains a speed of 3.0m/s. Explain which object—the astronaut or the toolbox—experiences the larger magnitude impulse during the throw, and justify your reasoning.
(b) After recoiling from the first throw and drifting for a short time, the astronaut throws the second toolbox directly backward (opposite to the first throw) with the same speed of 3.0m/s relative to herself at the instant of release. Rank, from greatest to least, the magnitudes of the impulses experienced by (i) the astronaut during the first throw, (ii) the astronaut during the second throw, and (iii) either toolbox during its own throw. Provide justification for your ranking.
(c) Describe the motion of the center of mass of the entire astronaut–toolbox system throughout the two throws and subsequent motion. Explain your answer in terms of external forces.