Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Conservation of Momentum
The principle of conservation of momentum states that in a closed system, the total momentum before an event must equal the total momentum after the event, provided no external forces act on it. In this scenario, the cart and the man form a closed system, and their combined momentum must remain constant as the man runs.
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Relative Velocity
Relative velocity is the velocity of one object as observed from another object. In this problem, the man's speed is given relative to the cart, meaning we must account for both the cart's initial speed and the man's running speed to determine the final speed of the cart after the man starts running.
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Intro to Relative Motion (Relative Velocity)
System Mass
The total mass of a system is crucial for calculating momentum. In this case, the system consists of the cart and the man. The combined mass affects how the momentum is distributed between the two when the man changes his velocity, impacting the final speed of the cart.
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