Suppose an astronaut whose mass is 50 kg pushes herself away from an artificial satellite that has a mass of 500 kg.While she is pushing,the acceleration of the satellite is 1 m/s per second.What is the acceleration of the astronaut?
A)1 m/s per second
B)10 m/s per second
C)1/10 m/s per second
D)100 m/s per second

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the astronaut pushes against the satellite, both experience forces of equal magnitude but in opposite directions. The acceleration of an object is given by the formula $a = \frac{F}{m}$, where $a$ is the acceleration, $F$ is the force applied, and $m$ is the mass of the object. Since the force exerted by the astronaut on the satellite is the same as the force exerted by the satellite on the astronaut, but the astronaut's mass is 1/10th that of the satellite, her acceleration will be 10 times greater than that of the satellite. Therefore, if the satellite's acceleration is 1 m/s^2, the astronaut's acceleration will be 10 m/s^2.

Suppose an Astronaut Whose Mass Is 50 Kg Pushes Herself