A 100kg man stands initially on the left end of a 60 kg, flat-bottomed fishing boat that is 10 meters long. This end of the fishing boat is 60 meters from shore. No external forces act on the boat, such as air or water friction. If the man walks to the opposite end (right end) of the boat:
a. Does the center of mass of the man-boat system move or remain stationary? If the boat does move, which way does it move?
b. After casually strolling to the opposite (right) end of the boat, how far is he from shore?
Help me. I am lost.
1 answer
There are no external forces on the boat/man system. Therefore if it was at rest there is no acceleration and the center of mass does not move. If the man moves away from shore in the boat, the boat moves toward the shore to keep the center of mass stationary.
1 answer