Chapter 8, Problem 8.35E

Deep Impact Mission. In July 2005, NASA’s “Deep Impact” mission crashed a 372-kg probe directly onto the surface of the comet Tempel 1, hitting the surface at 37,000 km/h. The original speed of the comet at that time was about 40,000 km/h, and its mass was estimated to be in the range (0.10 – 2.5) × 10¹⁴ kg. Use the smallest value of the estimated mass, (a) What change in the comet’s velocity did this collision produce? Would this change be noticeable? (b) Suppose this comet were to hit the earth and fuse with it. By how much would it change our planet’s velocity? Would this change be noticeable? (The mass of the earth is 5.97 × 10²⁴ kg.)