1-d kinematics food fight in space

AI Thread Summary
In a physics scenario involving a food fight in space, a banana is tossed at 14.0 m/s, and ice cream is thrown simultaneously, resulting in a collision that creates a banana split 6.0 m away after 1.3 seconds. The calculated speed of the ice cream is 4.6153 m/s. The main challenge arises in determining the distance from the thrower to the cosmonaut, with confusion over the banana's acceleration post-launch. It is clarified that the banana maintains its speed without acceleration after being thrown, allowing for straightforward distance calculations. Ultimately, the correct approach involves multiplying the banana's speed by the time elapsed to find the total distance traveled.
tri5
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Homework Statement


Having aced your Physics 2111 class, you get a sweet summer-job working in the International Space Station. Your room-mate, Cosmonaut Valdimir tosses a banana at you at a speed of 14.0 m/s. At exactly the same instant, you fling a scoop of ice cream at Valdimir along exactly the same path. The collision between banana and ice cream produces a banana split 6.0 m from your location 1.3 s after the banana and ice cream were launched.

1) How fast did you toss the ice cream? 4.6153 m/s

2) How far were you from Valdimir when you tossed the ice cream?

Homework Equations


v = v_0 + a t
x = x_0 + v_0 t + (1/2) a t^2
v^2 = v_0^2 + 2 a \Delta x

The Attempt at a Solution


My attempt at the solution is in the pdf file.
I am having trouble with question 2. I calculated the acceleration of the banana by dividing the initial velocity by the time, then plug it in x = x_0 + v_0 t + (1/2) a t^2. With t = 1.3s, v_0 = 14 m/s, and a = -10.7692 m/s^2.
My delta x = 9.1
I then added the 6m + 9.1m = 15.1m, but the automated homework system says the the answer is incorrect.
 

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Hello tri5. Welcome to PF!

The speed of 14.0 m/s for the banana is the speed it left your room-mate's hand. Once it leaves the hand, does it have any acceleration?
 
No the banana does not have any acceleration. I ended up multiplying the velocity of the banana by the elapsed time, which gave me the distance it traveled. Then adding that answer to 6m gave me the correct answer. Thanks for your help!
 
Good work!
 
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