A small asteroid (about d = 100 m in diameter) is spotted moving directly toward

Question

A small asteroid (about d = 100 m in diameter) is spotted moving directly toward Starbase Alpha floating in deep space. The residents plant explosives on the asteroid and manage to blow it apart into two chunks, one with a mass of 2.4 times the other, while it is still far from the starbase. If the center of the lighter chunk passes H = 1800 m from the edge of the starbase, which is D = 2.2 km in diameter, how close does the center of the other chunk get to the starbase? (Hint: How does the two-chunk system’s center of mass move after the explosion?)

Explanation / Answer

Distance of lighter from center of starbase h1 = 1800m + 1100m = 2900 m

here the vertical position of center of mass will remain constant, m1 h1 = m2h2 where m2 = 2.4m1

distance of larger /[2.4m]

= 1208.33 m

distance of second part from edge = 1208.33 - 1100

= 108.3 m answer

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