An astronaut on a space walk floats a little too far away from the space station. without air to push against, he cannot paddle back. however, the astronaut is holding a hammer. explain how the astronaut could use the hammer to move and why this will get him back to the space station.

The astronaut can throw the hammer in a direction away from the space station. While he is holding the hammer, the total momentum of the astronaut and hammer is 0 kg • m/s. According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum after he throws the hammer must still be 0 kg • m/s. In order for momentum to be conserved, the astronaut will have to move in the opposite direction of the hammer, which will be toward the space station.

The astronaut can use the hammer by moving itself in the opposite direction off the hammer, to reach back to space station.

The given problem is based on the law of conservation of linear momentum, which says that in a frame of reference, if no external force is applied, then the total momentum before the event is equal to the total momentum after the event. The event can be anything like collision, impulsive force, reactive force, and many more.

In the given condition, the initial magnitude of momentum of astronaut was 0 kg-m/s, because no external force is acting on the hammer-astronaut system.

So, the astronaut can throw the hammer in a direction away from the space station. While he is holding the hammer, the total momentum of the astronaut and hammer 0 kg • m/s.

And according to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum after he throws the hammer must still be 0 kg • m/s. In order for momentum to be conserved, the astronaut will have to move in the opposite direction of the hammer, which will be toward the space station.

Thus, we conclude that the astronaut can use the hammer by moving itself in the opposite direction off the hammer, to reach back to space station.

Learn more about the conservation of linear momentum here:

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