Center of Mass boat distance from shore what am I doing wrong?

AI Thread Summary
The problem involves a symmetrical rowboat with a man moving from the back to the front while calculating the center of mass. The initial calculations suggest that the man would be 38.7 meters from the shore after moving, which is incorrect. The key error identified is that the man is walking towards the shore, meaning he should be closer than his original position of 35.7 meters. Therefore, the final distance from the shore must be recalculated to reflect this movement accurately.
sweetpete28
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Problem: A symmetrical rowboat, mass M = 116 kg, length L = 6.89 m, points toward the shore. A man, mass m = 90 kg, stands in the back of the boat, distance d = 35.7 m from the shore. If the man now walks to the front of the boat, how far will he be from the shore?

Here is what I did:

Selected 0 as origin at shoreline:

Center of mass when man is in back of boat = [(90)(6.89) + (116)(3.445)] / (90 + 116) = 4.95 meters

When man is in front of boat he is distance d from shore and boat is distance d + 3.445:
Center of mass = [90d + 116(d + 3.445)] / (90 + 116) = 4.95
d = 3.01; so when man moves from back to front displacement is 3.01 m

So distance from shore is 35.7 + 3.01 = 38.7 m. But this answer is wrong. So what am I doing wrong?



Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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sweetpete28 said:
Problem: A symmetrical rowboat, mass M = 116 kg, length L = 6.89 m, points toward the shore. A man, mass m = 90 kg, stands in the back of the boat, distance d = 35.7 m from the shore. If the man now walks to the front of the boat, how far will he be from the shore?

Here is what I did:

Selected 0 as origin at shoreline:

Center of mass when man is in back of boat = [(90)(6.89) + (116)(3.445)] / (90 + 116) = 4.95 meters

When man is in front of boat he is distance d from shore and boat is distance d + 3.445:
Center of mass = [90d + 116(d + 3.445)] / (90 + 116) = 4.95
d = 3.01; so when man moves from back to front displacement is 3.01 m

So distance from shore is 35.7 + 3.01 = 38.7 m. But this answer is wrong. So what am I doing wrong?



Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


The man was walking towards the shore, not away from the shore, so he will be closer that 35.7, not further.
 
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