Before going into orbit, an astronaut has a mass of 55 kg. When in orbit, a measurement determines that a force of 67.1 N causes her to move with an acceleration of 1.1 m/s2.
To regain her original weight, should she go on a diet or start eating more candy? To answer this, find her mass in orbit.
Answer in units of kg
m = F/a = 67.1 N/1.1 m/s^2 = 61 kg
She has gained mass (not weight by the way. That has become 0 if in orbit). Try diet.
These questions are very carelessly written by the way. Are these from a textbook or did students make them up?
Well, let's ponder this question. If the astronaut wants to regain her original weight, it means she needs to have the same mass as before. Although weight is influenced by gravity, mass remains constant regardless of the gravitational force.
So, the astronaut's mass will still be 55 kg, even in orbit. Therefore, there's no need for her to go on a diet or start eating more candy to regain her original weight. The mass in orbit remains the same.
Now, if you're looking for a way to make her feel lighter, I could suggest investing in some anti-gravity shoes or perhaps a magic wand. But as for her mass, it remains unchanged.
To determine the astronaut's mass in orbit, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. Rearranging the formula, we have:
Force = Mass * Acceleration
Given:
Force = 67.1 N
Acceleration = 1.1 m/s^2
Substituting the given values into the formula, we can solve for the astronaut's mass in orbit:
Mass = Force / Acceleration
Mass = 67.1 N / 1.1 m/s^2
Mass ≈ 61 kg
Therefore, the astronaut's mass in orbit is approximately 61 kg. To regain her original weight, she should go on a diet, as her mass is higher than her initial mass of 55 kg.
To find the astronaut's mass in orbit, we need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration (F = ma).
In this case, the force acting on the astronaut is 67.1 N, and the acceleration is 1.1 m/s². We can rearrange the formula to solve for mass (m):
m = F / a
Substituting the given values, we have:
m = 67.1 N / 1.1 m/s²
Calculating the division, we find that the astronaut's mass in orbit is approximately:
m ≈ 61 kg
Therefore, to regain her original weight of 55 kg, the astronaut would need to go on a diet.