Does a Slowing Piano Exert More Force Than the Man Pushing It?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the physics of a piano rolling down a frictionless slope and the forces acting on both the piano and the man attempting to slow it down. According to Newton's Third Law, the force exerted by the piano on the man is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force exerted by the man on the piano. The confusion arises from the dynamics of the system, where the piano's acceleration affects the forces involved. The correct interpretation is that while the piano is slowing down, the forces acting on both the piano and the man are balanced, leading to a deeper understanding of free-body diagrams in this context.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion
  • Basic knowledge of free-body diagrams
  • Familiarity with concepts of force and acceleration
  • Knowledge of frictionless surfaces in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Newton's Third Law of Motion in detail
  • Learn how to create and analyze free-body diagrams
  • Explore the effects of friction on motion and force
  • Investigate the principles of dynamics in non-inertial frames
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Students studying physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of forces in motion.

mancity
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Homework Statement
A piano is rolling down a frictionless slope at an ever increasing speed. The piano tuner sees it, slowing it down to a constant speed. The magnitude of the force on the man by the piano is F_MP; the magnitude of the force on the man by the man is F_PM. If we compare these forces, we find
(A) F PM > F MP always.
(B) F PM > F MP while the piano slows down but F PM = F MP when the piano is moving at constant speed.
(C) F PM = F MP always.
(D) F PM = F MP while the piano slows down but F PM > F MP when the piano is moving at constant speed.
Relevant Equations
Newton's third law
Albeit the simple question, I am a bit confused on whether the correct answer choice is (B) or (C). When the piano is slowing down, shouldn't the force received by the piano be a bit greater than the force received by the man?
 
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What does Newton III say?
Why do you think otherwise?
 
mancity said:
Homework Statement: A piano is rolling down a frictionless slope at an ever increasing speed. The piano tuner sees it, slowing it down to a constant speed.
If the slope is frictionless the piano tuner will slide and will be unable to slow down the piano.
 
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mancity said:
When the piano is slowing down, shouldn't the force received by the piano be a bit greater than the force received by the man?
Draw well-separated free-body diagrams of piano and the man. Note that the net force on both the man and the piano are nonzero.
 

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