Finding the Mass of the Barbell in an Ice Skating Performance

What is the mass of the barbell thrown by an 80.0-kg clown during an ice skating performance?

A. 4.00 kg

B. 8.00 kg

C. 10.0 kg

Answer:

The mass of the barbell is calculated to be 4.00 kg.

In this scenario, the clown and the barbell initially have zero momentum before any movement occurs. According to the law of conservation of momentum in physics, the total momentum after the clown throws the barbell must remain zero.

To find the mass of the barbell, we can use the equation:

mass of barbell = -(mass of clown x velocity of clown) / velocity of barbell

Plugging in the given values:

mass of barbell = -(80.0 kg x 0.500 m/s) / 10.0 m/s = 4.00 kg

The kinetic energy gained through this maneuver is 210 J, which comes from the clown's muscles converting chemical energy into kinetic energy. The calculation involves the kinetic energy of both the clown and the barbell during the motion.