Bouncing Ball and the Principle of Equal and Opposite Forces

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on Newton's Third Law of Motion, specifically regarding the interaction between a ball and a wall during a collision. When the ball strikes the wall, it exerts a force on the wall, and simultaneously, the wall exerts an equal and opposite force on the ball. These forces do not cancel each other out because they act on different objects, which is a fundamental principle of Newton's laws. The misconception that equal forces result in constant velocity is clarified, emphasizing that net force determines motion.

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  • Understanding of Newton's Third Law of Motion
  • Basic knowledge of force and motion concepts
  • Familiarity with the concept of net force
  • Ability to analyze interactions between objects
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  • Study the implications of Newton's Third Law in real-world scenarios
  • Explore the concept of net force and its role in motion
  • Learn about momentum and its conservation during collisions
  • Investigate other laws of motion and their applications in physics
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Students studying physics, educators teaching motion concepts, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of force interactions in mechanics.

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Homework Statement


A ball hits the wall.So wall will exert an equal and opposite force the ball
Why doesn't the ball's forces gets equal so it moves with constant velocity?


Homework Equations


Gui
Na

The Attempt at a Solution


No attempt needed here.F-F=0 net force.
 
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MadScientist said:

Homework Statement


A ball hits the wall.So wall will exert an equal and opposite force the ball
Why doesn't the ball's forces gets equal so it moves with constant velocity?
Welcome to PF :smile:
The ball exerts a force on the WALL and the wall exerts a force on the BALL.
So the forces are not acting on the same object to be cancelled.Newton's third law doesn't state that.
For every action,there is an equal and opposite reaction.That does not mean the forces act on the same object. :wink:

MadScientist said:

Homework Equations


Gui
Na

What??
 
Last edited:
Thank you.
 

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