Two friends are standing on opposite ends of a canoe.The canoe is initially at rest with respect to the lake.The person on the right throws a very massive ball to the left,and the person on the left catches it.After the ball is caught (ignoring friction between the canoe and the water),the canoe is

Question

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The total momentum of the system (canoe + people + ball) is zero before the ball is thrown. After the ball is thrown, the momentum of the ball is to the left. To conserve momentum, the canoe and people must move to the right.

Two Friends Are Standing on Opposite Ends of a Canoe