An amateur skater of mass M (when fully dressed) is trapped in the middle of an

Question

An amateur skater of mass M (when fully dressed) is trapped in the middle of an ice rink and is unable to return to the side where there is no ice. Every motion she makes causes her to slip on the ice and remain in the same spot. She decides to try to return to safety by removing her gloves of mass m and throwing them in the direction opposite the safe side.
(a) She throws the gloves as hard as she can, and they leave her hand with a velocity gloves. Explain whether or not she moves.


If she does move, calculate her velocity girl relative to the Earth after she throws the gloves. (Use the following as necessary: m, M, and gloves). (If she does not move, enter 0.)
girl =

(b) Discuss her motion from the point of view of the forces acting on her.




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Explanation / Answer

(b) From a point of view of forces, the glove-girl system is unable to generate any external forces. However, by separating those two systems, the girl-system is able to apply a force to the glove-system, which produces equal and opposite reactive force over a short period of time. This force over time (impulse) that the gloves impart on the girl is an external force to the girl-system, so it gives her some momentum.

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