⦁ What would happen to an astronaut who pushed away from a space station deck?
If an astronaut pushed away from a space station deck in space, several things would happen to them:
1. Initial Acceleration: Initially, the astronaut would experience an acceleration in the opposite direction to the push. This is due to Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So when the astronaut exerts a force on the deck, the deck exerts an equal and opposite force on the astronaut, propelling them away.
2. Momentum Conservation: Since the astronaut pushed away from the deck, their momentum would change, and they would start moving away from the space station with the same velocity and direction as their push. This is governed by the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant unless acted upon by an external force.
3. Continuous Motion: Once the astronaut is in motion away from the space station, they would continue moving in a straight line with constant velocity unless acted upon by another force. In space, there is no air resistance or friction to slow them down, so they would keep moving until another force, like gravity from a planet or another celestial body, changes their trajectory.
4. Lost Connection: As the astronaut moves away from the space station, they would eventually be out of reach for other crew members to grab or reconnect with the station. This separation would leave the astronaut drifting in space alone unless they have a means of propulsion or assistance to return to the station.
It is crucial for astronauts to be careful while pushing away from structures in space to ensure they have a plan for returning or a means of propulsion to navigate back to their intended destination. Otherwise, they could potentially become detached and stranded in space.