How Does Newton's Third Law Explain Our Forward Movement?

AI Thread Summary
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, which explains forward movement when a foot pushes against the Earth. The force exerted by the foot on the ground results in the Earth pushing back, propelling the body forward. This principle is often misunderstood in high school physics, leading to confusion about action-reaction pairs. The discussion emphasizes that such questions are valid and important for understanding basic physics concepts. Overall, the explanation of forward movement through Newton's Third Law is affirmed as correct and significant.
UrbanXrisis
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Why we move foward:

The applied force from our foot pushs on the Earth and therefore, according to Newton's 3rd law, the Earth pushes back on me to make me move foward.

Yeah, this is like basic material, but just need a verification, is this correct?
 
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In a word - "yes!" :-)
 
I'll second that, and add that this is really not such a stupid question at all. Newton's 3rd Law is the most misunderstood high-school physics concept.
 
I'll second Gokul's comment. I sure as hell can't identify an action-reaction pair when I see one so I don't even bother to answer those questions for people.
 

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