Heat normally travels from areas of higher heat to areas of lower heat. For example, if you were to be in a classroom and all the windows and doors were closed, and then you opened a door, then the reason why the room becomes cooler is not because cold air comes inside the room. However, it is because when you open the door, the heat from the classroom you're in escapes the room. This is why it feels cooler when you open a door, or even a window. Heat is traveling from areas of higher heat to areas of lower heat.
This is a problem of conservation of momentum
Momentum before throwing the rock: m*V = 96.0 kg * 0.480 m/s = 46.08 N*s
A) man throws the rock forward
=>
rock:
m1 = 0.310 kg
V1 = 14.5 m/s, in the same direction of the sled with the man
sled and man:
m2 = 96 kg - 0.310 kg = 95.69 kg
v2 = ?
Conservation of momentum:
momentum before throw = momentum after throw
46.08N*s = 0.310kg*14.5m/s + 95.69kg*v2
=> v2 = [46.08 N*s - 0.310*14.5N*s ] / 95.69 kg = 0.434 m/s
B) man throws the rock backward
this changes the sign of the velocity, v2 = -14.5 m/s
46.08N*s = - 0.310kg*14.5m/s + 95.69kg*v2
v2 = [46.08 N*s + 0.310*14.5 N*s] / 95.69 k = 0.529 m/s