According to the third law of motion when we push on an object, the object pushes back on us with an equal and opposite force. If the object is a massive truck parked along the roadside, it will probably not move. A student justifies this by answering that the two opposite and equal forces cancel each other. Comment on this logic and explain why the truck does not move.
Solution and Explanation
The logic given by the student is not correct because two equal and opposite forces cancel each other only in the case if they act on the same body. According to Newton’s third law, action and reaction force always act on two different bodies, so they cannot cancel each other. When a massive truck is pushed, then the truck may not move because the force applied is not sufficient to move the truck.
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Concepts Used:
Laws of Motion
The laws of motion, which are the keystone of classical mechanics, are three statements that defined the relationships between the forces acting on a body and its motion. They were first disclosed by English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton.
Newton’s First Law of Motion
Newton’s 1st law states that a body at rest or uniform motion will continue to be at rest or uniform motion until and unless a net external force acts on it.
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Newton's 2nd law of motion deals with the relation between force and acceleration. According to the second law of motion, the acceleration of an object as built by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Newton's 3rd law of motion states when a body applies a force on another body that there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action.