An astronaut is stranded outside her spaceship. She is wearing a tool belt that contains a device that releases jets of air. Can the astronaut get back to her spaceship? Explain how.
The astronaut can release air from the device in all directions around her in the hopes that she will move towards the spaceship.
The astronaut can release air from the device in a direction that points towards the spaceship.
The astronaut can release air from the device in a direction that points away from the spaceship.
The astronaut cannot get back to the spaceship.
Yes, the astronaut can get back to her spaceship by releasing air from the device in a direction that points away from the spaceship. This is because of Newton's third law of motion, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When the astronaut releases air in a specific direction, the force of the air being expelled pushes back on the astronaut with an equal force in the opposite direction. By releasing air in a direction away from the spaceship, the astronaut will experience a force pushing her towards the spaceship, helping her to move closer to it. This is similar to propulsion systems used in rockets, where the expelled gases provide the necessary force to move the rocket forward in space. Thus, by strategically releasing air in certain directions, the astronaut can propel herself towards the spaceship and eventually reach it.
