Keith Mack
Newton's third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if object A exerts a force on object B, object B will exert an equal force in the opposite direction on object A. Given this law, one might wonder how anything can move at all. This question arises from a misunderstanding of Newton's third law. Forces related to Newton's third law apply to different bodies, and therefore they cannot cancel each other out. For example, if you push a box on a table, the box will exert an equal force in the opposite direction on your finger, but since the forces are acting on different objects, they do not balance each other out. The forces exerted by object A on object B and by object B on object A are independent of each other. The motion of an object depends on the net force acting on it, which is the vector sum of all the forces acting on it. Therefore, Newton's third law does not prevent objects from moving; instead, it explains the relationship between the forces acting on interacting objects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Forces related to Newton's third law | Apply to different bodies |
| Forces exerted by A on B and by B on A | Act on different objects |
| Forces exerted by A | Irrelevant to determining whether or not A accelerates |
| Forces that cause movement | External forces |
| Objects at rest | Remain at rest |
| Objects in motion | Remain in motion at constant speed and in a straight line |
| Acceleration of an object | Depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied |
| Forces | Have magnitude and direction |
| Velocity, force, acceleration, and momentum | Vector quantities |
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What You'll Learn
- Newton's third law doesn't prevent movement, it explains the relationship between objects and forces acting upon them
- Forces related to Newton's third law apply to different bodies, so they cannot cancel each other out
- Newton's third law is traditionally taught as pairs of forces, but it makes more sense to present it as a single force operating between pairs of bodies
- Newton's first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an external force
- Newton's second law states that the faster the acceleration, the more force is needed, and the heavier the object, the more force is required
Newton's third law doesn't prevent movement, it explains the relationship between objects and forces acting upon them
Newton's third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if object A exerts a force upon object B, then object B will exert an equal but opposite force upon object A. For example, if you push a box on a table, the box will exert the same force on your finger, but in the opposite direction.
This law does not prevent movement; instead, it explains the relationship between objects and the forces acting upon them. The forces described by Newton's third law act on different objects, meaning they cannot cancel each other out. For example, when you push a box, the force you apply to the box is greater than the force the box exerts on your finger, allowing the box to move. The box also exerts a force against the friction of the table, which allows it to move in the desired direction.
Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant speed and in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This means that once an object is in motion, it will continue moving unless a force acts upon it to change its state. The acceleration of an object depends on its mass and the amount of force applied.
Newton's third law is traditionally taught as pairs of forces, but it can also be understood as a single force operating between pairs of bodies. This perspective is supported by Coulomb's law and the Universal Gravitation equation. By considering the forces acting between two objects, Newton's third law helps explain the motion of objects and provides the basis for modern physics.
In summary, Newton's third law does not prevent movement but rather describes the relationship between objects and the forces acting upon them. It explains how forces interact and how objects respond to external forces, providing a foundation for understanding motion and the physical world.
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Forces related to Newton's third law apply to different bodies, so they cannot cancel each other out
Newton's third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if object A exerts a force upon object B, object B will exert an equal but opposite force upon object A. This is often referred to as a pair of forces.
However, these forces do not cancel each other out because they act on different objects. For example, the Earth's gravitational pull on the Moon results in an equal force, the Moon's pull on Earth, but this force has no relevance to the Moon. The forces exerted by A on B and by B on A are therefore unable to balance each other.
This is because the forces related to Newton's third law apply to different bodies. When determining whether object A accelerates, the only relevant forces are those exerted on A by other objects. The forces exerted by A on other objects are irrelevant.
Newton's third law does not deal with movement by itself but with changes in movement, i.e., acceleration and deceleration. For example, if you push a box on a table, you are exerting a force on the box, and it exerts an equal force on your finger. But because you have the greater mass and acceleration, you are able to move the box.
Thus, Newton's third law does not prevent movement. It simply states that a force exerted on an object will result in an opposing force.
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Newton's third law is traditionally taught as pairs of forces, but it makes more sense to present it as a single force operating between pairs of bodies
Newton's third law of motion states that when two bodies interact, they exert forces on each other, and these forces are known as action and reaction pairs. These forces are equal in magnitude but act in opposite directions. For instance, when a fish swims through the water, it pushes water backwards, accelerating itself forwards. The force exerted on the water is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force on the fish.
Newton's third law is traditionally taught as pairs of forces, but some argue that it makes more sense to present it as a single force operating between pairs of bodies. This perspective is supported by Coulomb's law and the Universal Gravitation equation. When viewed as a single force, it becomes clear that these forces act on different objects and, therefore, cannot cancel each other out. For example, Earth's gravitational pull on the Moon is met with an equal and opposite reaction of the Moon's pull on Earth. However, the Moon's reaction force has no relevance to the Moon itself, only to Earth.
This understanding of Newton's third law helps clarify why motion is still possible despite the law's statement that every force has an equal and opposite reaction. When a person pushes a box on a table, their finger exerts a force on the box, and the box exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on their finger. However, the person has greater mass and acceleration than the box, allowing them to move it. The forces are balanced, but the net force is not zero because the forces are acting on different objects.
Furthermore, the concept of force expenditure versus energy expenditure should be considered. Humans have cognition and agency, so it feels incorrect to say that a person pushing a matchbox experiences the same force from the matchbox. The person is expending force and energy at a molecular level to stay contracted, while the matchbox is not.
In summary, Newton's third law of motion states that when two objects interact, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other. While traditionally taught as pairs of forces, it may be more intuitive to present it as a single force operating between pairs of bodies. This perspective highlights that these forces act on different objects and helps explain how motion is possible despite the existence of equal and opposite forces. Additionally, it draws attention to the distinction between force and energy expenditure, particularly in the case of human agency.
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Newton's first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an external force
Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with a constant speed in a straight line unless acted on by an external force. This tendency to resist changes in a state of motion is called inertia. If all the external forces cancel each other out, then there is no net force acting on the object, and the object will maintain its constant velocity.
For example, if you are playing marbles, you need some force to shoot your marble, but once the marble is rolling, it will continue rolling by itself, provided there is no friction from the ground or air resistance.
Newton's third law, on the other hand, states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if object A exerts a force on object B, then object B will exert an equal force in the opposite direction on object A. However, these forces do not cancel each other out because they act on different objects.
The third law does not make movement impossible. It simply means that the force needed to start, stop, or change the movement of an object will result in a similar force exerted by the object in the opposite direction. For instance, if you push a box on a table, you are applying a force that overcomes the friction between the box and the table, as well as the force of the box pushing back on your finger.
Therefore, while Newton's third law states that equal and opposite forces will be exerted by interacting objects, it does not contradict the first law, which states that an object will remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an external force. These laws work together to explain the relationship between objects and the forces acting upon them, providing the foundation for modern physics.
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Newton's second law states that the faster the acceleration, the more force is needed, and the heavier the object, the more force is required
Newton's second law of motion, unlike the first law of motion, pertains to the behaviour of objects for which all existing forces are unbalanced. The second law of motion is quantitative and is used to calculate what happens in situations involving a force. Newton's second law states that the acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting on the object and the mass of the object.
The second law can be expressed as:
> Fnet = ma
Where Fnet is the net force, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration. This equation shows that force is equal to the mass of an object multiplied by its acceleration. This means that as the force acting on an object is increased, the acceleration of the object also increases. Similarly, as the mass of an object increases, more force is required to accelerate it, and therefore the acceleration decreases.
For example, when kicking a ball, the harder you kick it, the more force you exert, and the further it travels. Similarly, it is easier to push an empty shopping cart than a loaded one because more mass requires more acceleration.
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Frequently asked questions
Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. However, forces related to Newton's third law apply to different bodies, so they cannot cancel each other out. For example, when you push a box on a table, the box exerts an equal and opposite force on your finger, but since you have greater mass and acceleration, you can still move the box.
Newton's third law deals with changes in movement, such as acceleration or deceleration. It states that the force required to start, stop, or change movement will result in a similar force exerted on the object applying it.
Newton's first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving at a constant speed and in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. This means that an object will maintain its state of motion unless compelled to change by an external force.
Newton's second law states that the faster the acceleration you want, the more force you need. Additionally, the heavier the object you want to accelerate, the greater the force required. This law helps us understand the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.
At launch, a rocket's engines generate hot exhaust gas, which is pushed out (the action), creating thrust (the reaction). For a successful launch, the thrust generated must be greater than the rocket's mass. This demonstrates Newton's third law in action, where the equal and opposite reaction to the force exerted by the rocket results in upward motion.
