Randall D. Knight — Newton's Third Law: Problem Problem_31

A Federation starship (\( 2.0 \times 10^6 \text{ kg} \)) uses its tractor beam to pull a shuttlecraft (\( 2.0 \times 10^4 \text{ kg} \)) aboard from a distance of 10 km away. The tractor beam exerts a constant force of \( 4.0 \times 10^4 \text{ N} \) on the shuttlecraft. Both spacecraft are initially at rest. How far does the starship move as it pulls the shuttlecraft aboard?