Two objects, one accelerating downwards onto another

[Illuminist14]

The object accelerating downward exerts less force on the part below than if it were being held in place, But this is a reflexive situation: the lower section exerts less retarding force on the descending object - Newton's 3rd law. If the retarding force were greater, the object would have less downward acceleration and, if the force were great enough for long enough time, there could be arrest.

I wanted to know if I had this right? I think it is correct from what I have tried to research.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks

 

[Illuminist14]

BUMP please...anyone?

 

[HallsofIvy]

There isn't enough information to answer your question. What the force would be depends upon how fast the dropped object takes to stop.

 

[berkeman]

The object accelerating downward exerts less force on the part below than if it were being held in place, But this is a reflexive situation: the lower section exerts less retarding force on the descending object - Newton's 3rd law. If the retarding force were greater, the object would have less downward acceleration and, if the force were great enough for long enough time, there could be arrest.

I wanted to know if I had this right? I think it is correct from what I have tried to research.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks

Your previous thread about this was locked. Do not re-post a locked thread.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=569058

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[PJC01]

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Yes, your understanding is correct. According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this scenario, the object accelerating downward is exerting a force on the lower section, and in turn, the lower section is exerting a force back on the descending object. However, this force is less than if the lower section were holding the object in place. This is because the lower section is also experiencing a downward acceleration and therefore has less ability to exert a force on the descending object. If the retarding force were greater, the object's downward acceleration would decrease, and eventually, if the force were strong enough for a long enough time, the object's downward motion could be stopped (arrested). This is an important principle to understand in physics and can be applied to many real-world situations involving objects in motion.