...loose, and he has drifted out of reach of the craft. How could he use his spanner to help him ge back to the craft?
Please help, physics question on forces and momentum.
2007-03-21 07:08:30 · 7 answers · asked by billymardle 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
#1 is correct.
He could also use his spanner to unscrew his air hose slightly and orient the jet opposite the spacecraft. By carefully adjusting rate of air depletion with velocity, and taking a large breath, he might make it...
2007-03-21 08:48:52 · answer #1 · answered by catarthur 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, I'm guessing here...
If he threw the wrench away from himself (in the opposite direction of the spacecraft) it would cause him to stop moving in that direction as much. But the mass of the wrench would have to be greater than his own mass for that to work, unless he was able to fire it at very high velocity.
There may be some way to tie the wrench to the tether and throw the wrench back toward the spacecraft and hope the wrench wraps around something.
Perhaps he could spin the wrench on the end of the tether and then change the rotation, causing the centripetal force to change his trajectory. Not sure if that would work. If you have ever held a spinning wheel in your hands and tried to turn the wheel, you'll know that significant force is involved there. I've seen video of an astronaut on the shuttle doing this and it resulted in her body turning when she tried to move the turning wheel.
2007-03-21 14:17:57 · answer #2 · answered by yodadoe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By throwing the spanner away from the spacecraft, he would drift back towards the spacecraft as a result of Newton's 3rd Law (Every force has an equal and opposite reaction), and 2nd Law (F=ma).
2007-03-21 14:35:01 · answer #3 · answered by G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Throw the spanner in the opposite direction of the spacecraft and he will move toward the spacecraft.
2007-03-21 14:18:40 · answer #4 · answered by Kainoa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Throw it in the opposite direction to the way he needs to move.
If he is quite a distance from the spacecraft, he needs to launch himself on a vector that will intersect with the spacecraft WHEN HE GETS THERE.
"If he wants to get back home or pass a physics quiz --
Shoot for where it's gonna' be, not at where it is!"
.
2007-03-21 16:24:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. She would have to throw it away from the spacecraft. Newton would get her back.
2007-03-21 14:11:26 · answer #6 · answered by Cirric 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
1st answer is correct.
2007-03-21 14:19:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋