A woman on a spaceship traveling at a velocity ₀ in free space runs forward and then suddenly stops. When she stops, the center of mass of the system (that is, the ship and the woman) A) moves in the same direction as ₀ with a slight increase in speed. B) moves in the same direction as ₀ with a slight decrease in speed. C) comes to rest if the woman can run fast enough. D) continues unchanged at a velocity ₀. E) moves in the direction that the woman runs until she stops.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion remains in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, there are no external forces acting on the spaceship and the woman, so they will continue to move at the same velocity, 11eaa4be_84c2_0254_9e4a_d990dec2af4f_TB6080_11 ₀, even when the woman stops. Therefore, the center of mass of the system will also continue to move at this velocity and in the same direction, which is option D.

A Woman on a Spaceship Traveling at a Velocity