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The Principle of Conservation of Linear Momentum help?

For tests using a ballistocardiograph, a patient lies on a horizontal platform that is supported on jets of air. Because of the air jets, the friction impeding the horizontal motion of the platform is negligible. Each time the heart beats, blood is pushed out of the heart in a direction that is nearly parallel to the platform. Since momentum must be conserved, the body and the platform recoil, and this recoil can be detected to provide information about the heart. For each beat, suppose that 0.050 kg of blood is pushed out of the heart with a velocity of +0.30 m/s and that the mass of the patient and the platform is 85 kg. Assuming that the patient does not slip with respect to the platform, and that the patient and the platform start from rest, determine the recoil velocity.

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  • 1 decade ago
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    Hi - this is relatively simple - here's how you figure it out:

    Since the momentum in each direction (momentum = mass x velocity) must be the same, we can set the two events equal and solve for the unknown:

    (.050 kg)(0.30 m/s) = (85 kg) (x m/s)

    .015 = 85x

    So x = about 1.765 x10^-4 m/s

    Hope this helps - also see the link below!

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