A boat of mass 7000kg is floating without moving, close to a pier. It is not tied up. A woman of mass 70kg is standing on the boat. The woman jumps from the boat to the pier at 3 m/s.

Question

a) Will the boat move? If so, which way?

d) What is the momentum of the boat just after the woman jumps?

e) How fast will the boat move?

Answer 1

a) Yes, the boat will move. It will move in the opposite direction of the woman's jump.

d) The momentum of the boat just after the woman jumps is 0 kg m/s.

e) The boat will move at a speed of 0 m/s.