Momentum problem...?

Question

Explain how you do this.

An astronaut goes outside his ship for a spacewalk, but when he is floating 15 m from the ship, his tether catches on a sharp price of metal and his severed. He tosses his 2 kg camera away from the spaceship with a speed of 12 m/s.

a. How fast will he travel toward the spaceship if his mass is 68 kg.

b. Assuming the spaceship remains at rest with respect to the astronaut, how long will it take him to reach the ship?

Answer 1

a 2/68 x 12 =0.353 m/s,

b 15/0.353=42.5 seconds.

Answer 2

This is a classic conservation of momentum problem

M1V1= M2V2

(2kg)(12m/s)= (68kg)(V2)   ;    V2= 24/68 = .353 m/s

A) he will move at a speed of . 353 m/s toward the ship

he must cover 15m to reach the ship.   15/.353 = 42.5 S

B) he will reach the ship in 42.5 seconds