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by Quirkie on December 4th, 2005
It isn't weight which matters, it's inertia, which depends on mass.
Total momentum is always conserved.
Momentum is given by mass times velocity.
Say Fred, an irritated astronaut, weighing in at 70 kg (about 150 lbs) manages to transfer an amount of momentum to the space shuttle, weighing in about 100,000 kg (about 220,000 lbs).
Say enough to kick a 0.5 kg (1 lb) ball about 40m (about 43 yds).
This would be enough to move the shuttle away from its original orbit at a speed of less than 1 m (1 yd) every 3 hrs.
On the other hand, the reaction would propel Fred backwards at about 0.7 m/s (2.5 km/h or about 1.5 mph) which is probably a suitable punishment for kicking the shuttle in this way.
by Joe-Speedy on December 4th, 2005
No, the shuttle will not spin away like a kicked football.
Physics has shown that for every action there is an equal an opposite reaction.
In this case, the force of a 100 Kg man kicking with 10 lbs of force will produce a similar reaction on a 500 tonne space shuttle traveling in a circular orbit at several hundred miles an hour.
Due to the mass difference, the force applied by the man would not be sufficient to alter the path of the shuttle in any way. It would be like saying a fly can alter the path of your automobile when it hits your windshield.
When did Isaac Newton make the three laws of motion?
by Answerbag Staff on May 19th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Does frictional force acting on an object depend on the amount of force(opposite direction to the friction) applied to the object??
by Inddiggo:)) on June 23rd, 2011
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RADAR gun / LIDAR gun and measurement angle
by thecatsmeow on July 20th, 2011
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please solve this problem
by Ripan on June 16th, 2011
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Can someone explain Newton's first law?? And the question?
by Inddiggo:)) on June 21st, 2011
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