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.
(1 point)
• The astronaut cannot get back to her 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 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 away from the spaceship.
By releasing jets of air in a direction opposite to the spaceship, the astronaut can utilize Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, when the astronaut releases air in a direction away from the spaceship, the reaction force will push her in the opposite direction, towards the spaceship. The air jets act as thrusters to propel her back to the spaceship.