A boy of mass 52 kg jumps with a horizontal velocity of 2 m/s onto a stationary cart of mass 3 kg. The cart is fixed with frictionless wheels. Which one of the following would be the speed of the cart?

The problem is solved using the principle of conservation of linear momentum, which states that the total momentum of a system remains constant if no external forces act on it. Linear momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity (p = mv). In this scenario, a boy (m1 = 52 kg) jumps with a velocity (v1 = 2 m/s) onto a stationary cart (m2 = 3 kg, v2 = 0). This is a perfectly inelastic collision where the boy and cart move together with a common final velocity (V). The formula for final velocity is V = (m1v1 + m2v2) / (m1 + m2). Substituting the values: V = (52 * 2 + 3 * 0) / (52 + 3) = 104 / 55. This calculation yields approximately 1.89 m/s. Thus, the speed of the cart after the boy jumps on it is 1.89 m/s.