A man standing on a frictionless ice throws a boomerang which returns to him. Asuuming that the boomerang can only move in a a circular path, choose the correct statement:
A)Since the momentum of the man-boomerang system is conserved, the man will ocme to rest holding the boomerang at the same location from which he threw it.
B)It is impossible for the man to throw the boomerang in this situation.
C)The total momentum of the man-boomerang systems is not conserved, so the man will be sliding backwards holding the boomerang after he catches it.
D) It is impossible for the man to throw the boomerang, but because he is standing in a frictionless ice when he throws it, the boomerang will not return to him.
The correct statement is A) Since the momentum of the man-boomerang system is conserved, the man will come to rest holding the boomerang at the same location from which he threw it.
To understand why, let's break down the options:
A) Since momentum is conserved in a closed system, the momentum of the man and the boomerang together will remain constant throughout their motion. If the man throws the boomerang in one direction, an equal and opposite amount of momentum will be imparted to the man in the opposite direction, causing him to move backward. When the boomerang returns and he catches it, its momentum cancels out the momentum he gained in the opposite direction, causing him to come to rest at the same location.
B) It is not impossible for the man to throw the boomerang in this situation. Although the absence of friction makes it harder to exert force on the boomerang, the man can still throw it by exerting a force with his arm.
C) This statement is incorrect because momentum is conserved in a closed system, which means the total momentum of the man and the boomerang will remain the same. As mentioned in option A, when the boomerang returns, it cancels out the backward momentum gained by the man, bringing him to a rest at the same location.
D) This statement is also incorrect. While it is possible for the man to throw the boomerang, just as explained in option B, the boomerang will return to him due to the conservation of momentum in the system. The frictionless ice does not affect the boomerang's ability to return, as it only impacts the force exerted by the man, not the boomerang's motion.