Recoil of astronaut pushing a tool

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An astronaut in space throws a 0.70kg tool backwards at -12.0m/s to return to her spaceship, while her total mass with the spacesuit is 90kg. The discussion focuses on applying the conservation of momentum to determine her resulting velocity. The principle states that the total momentum before and after the throw must remain constant. Participants emphasize the importance of using mass and velocity in calculations. The conversation highlights the need for a conceptual understanding to solve the problem effectively.
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Homework Statement



An astronaut stranded in space throws a 0.70kg tool backwards at -12.0m/s in order to return to her spaceship. If she and her spacesuit together have a total mass of 90kg, how fast and in what direction is she moving after throwing the tool?

So
Et=Et

I'm not sure what to use. It has to be one that uses mass and velocity, I am just not sure.
 
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Look at conservation of momentum.
 


Got it, thanks. All I ususally need is something to jumpstart my brain.
 
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