Question about Newton's 3rd law

[nosecs411]

haha I am kinda dumb and all and my physics teacher is like chinese and very unclear (grade eight).

Newton's third law states that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." I understand most of it but have this question, If the reaction and original force are of the same magnitude in opposite directions, how come they do not cancel each other out?

 

[Doc Al]

Because they act on different bodies.

 

[ogb p]

That is a great question! It may seem like the forces should cancel each other out, but they actually act on different objects. For example, if you push on a wall with a certain force, the wall pushes back on you with an equal force. However, since the wall is not moving, the forces do not cancel each other out. This is because the forces are acting on different objects and in different directions. The wall is pushing back on you, but you are pushing on the wall, not yourself. Therefore, the forces do not cancel each other out and they both have an effect on their respective objects. I hope this helps clarify Newton's third law for you!