A 75-kg swimmer dives horizontally off a 500-kg raft.If the diver's speed immediately after leaving the raft is 4 m/s,what is the corresponding raft speed?
A)0.2 m/s
B)0.5 m/s
C)0.6 m/s
D)4.0 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total momentum before the swimmer dives off the raft is 0 since both the raft and the swimmer are at rest. After the swimmer dives off, the total momentum must still be 0. We can use the conservation of momentum principle to solve for the raft's speed:

(75 kg)(4 m/s) + (500 kg)(x) = 0

Solving for x, we get:

x = - (75 kg)(4 m/s) / 500 kg = -0.6 m/s

The negative sign indicates that the raft is moving in the opposite direction to the swimmer's dive. Taking the magnitude of the result gives us:

| x | = 0.6 m/s

Therefore, the corresponding raft speed is 0.6 m/s, which is answer choice C.

A 75-Kg Swimmer Dives Horizontally Off a 500-Kg Raft