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F = ma (First 10)
Kinematics
FMA-2020A-07 · 2020A F = ma (AAPT)

2020 F = ma Exam A — Question 7

An astronaut standing on the exterior of the international space station wants to dispose of three pieces of trash. They face the station’s direction of travel with the Earth to their left. From the astronaut’s perspective, the three pieces are thrown (I) left, (II) right, and (III) up. To the astronaut’s frustration, some of the pieces of trash return to the space station after several hours. They are
Source: Question 7, 2020 F = ma Exam A, © 2020 American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the U.S. Physics Team. Adapted by PhysicsTrainer: reformatted into a separate question and answer choices for online multiple-choice practice; any shared setup from nearby questions is repeated here. Not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPT or the U.S. Physics Team.