A cat stands on a plank of wood floating in the water. The mass of the cat is 3.5 kg and the mass of the wood is 5.0 kg. If the cat walks 1.0 m along the plank, how far does it move in relation to the water?

Question

anonymous · Answer

The center of gravity of the cat-plank system does not move.
cat mass * distance moved in space right = plank mass *distance moved in space left.
3.5 c = 5 p
c+p = 1 meter so p = 1-c
3.5 c = 5 (1-c)
8.5 c = 5
c = .588 meter