Question

A boy on a 1.9 kg skateboard initially at rest tosses a(n) 7.8 kg jug of water in the forward direction. if the jug has a speed of 3.2 m/s relative to the ground and the boy and skateboard move in the opposite direction at 0.65 m/s, find the boy's mass. answer in units of kg.

Answer 1

For this case we first think that the skateboard and the child are one body.
 We have then:
 1 = jug
 2 = skateboard + boy
 By conservation of the linear amount of movement:
 M1V1i + M2V2i = M1V1f + M2V2f
 Initial rest:
 v1i = v2i = 0
 0 = M1V1f + M2V2f
 Substituting values
 0 = (7.8) (3.2) + (M2) (- 0.65)
 0 = 24.96 + M2 (-0.65)
 -24.96 = (-0.65) M2
 M2 = (-24.96) / (- 0.65) = 38.4 kg
 Then, the child's mass is:
 M2 = Mskateboard + Mb
 Clearing:
 Mb = M2-Mskateboard
 Mb = 38.4 - 1.9
 Mb = 36.5 Kg
 answer:
 the boy's mass is 36.5 Kg