In: Physics
a. An astronaut holding a heavy object floats in empty space. When he throws the object, he finds himself moving in the opposite direction. Explain, using conservation of momentum, why this occurs.
b. A system starts with a net momentum of zero and is only affected by internal forces. After a series of events, what must the net momentum of the system be? If the forces are external, why is this not necessarily the case?
c.A box slides along ice at a rate of 5m/s. After experiencing a perfectly elastic collision with another box, the second box slides with a rate of 5m/s. What must be true of the masses of these two boxes? Explain.