Question

4. Marital Spat in Space: Two astronauts who happen to be married to one another are working outside the International Space Station. They are separated by a distance of 12 m when they get upset with one another and start fighting. Astronaut H (mH = 170 kg including spacesuit) throws a 3 kg wrench at a velocity of 5 m/s towards his wife, Astronaut W (mW = 155 kg including spacesuit). At that very same instant, Astronaut W fires her jet pack so that she is traveling towards Astronaut H at a constant velocity of 2 m/s. Astronaut W is able to catch the wrench and, with wrench in hand, she continues floating toward Astronaut H. How much time elapses between the instant Astronaut H throws the wrench and the time Astronaut W catches up to him?

Answer 1