How Does Newton's 3rd Law Apply When Pushing a Wall?

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In summary, when a person pushes against a wall, according to Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, the wall exerts a reaction force on the person that is equal in magnitude to the applied force. This also applies to other forces such as gravitational, friction, and normal forces, where the force exerted by one object will result in an equal and opposite force exerted by the other object. The key is to identify which bodies are exerting the forces and understand that they will always act in opposite directions with equal magnitude.
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Homework Statement



A person is pushing against a wall, which just refuses to move. Fully and clearly describe how Newton's 3rd Law of Motion is affecting the person.

Homework Equations



Newton's 3rd Law of motion is defined as "If one object exerts an action force on a second object, the second object will exert a reaction force on the first object that is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the applied force"


The Attempt at a Solution



The person exerts an applied force of F[itex]_{A}[/itex] on the wall. The wall exerts a reaction force back on the person that is equal in magnitude to the applied force.

There should be 3 more like this containing the forces; gravitational, friction and normal. I'm just not sure of the wording for those.
 
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There should be 3 more like this containing the forces; gravitational, friction and normal. I'm just not sure of the wording for those.

wording is not so difficult as long as you know which body is exerting the force. Just figure out on which bodies these force act and just fill the information in the statement.

"Man exerts an action force on the wall, the wall will exert a reaction force on the man that is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the applied force."

This should help out. :wink:
 

1. What is Newton's 3rd Law of Motion?

Newton's 3rd Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when an object exerts a force on another object, the second object will exert an equal and opposite force back on the first object.

2. How does this law apply to everyday life?

This law can be seen in many everyday situations. For example, when walking, our feet push against the ground and the ground pushes back with an equal force, propelling us forward. It also explains how rockets are able to launch into space by pushing against the ground with a powerful force.

3. Is this law always true?

Yes, this law is always true in the absence of external forces. This means that as long as there are no other forces acting on the objects, the forces will always be equal and opposite.

4. How does Newton's 3rd Law relate to the other laws of motion?

Newton's 3rd Law is one of three laws of motion developed by Sir Isaac Newton. The first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. The second law relates to how the force applied to an object affects its acceleration. And the third law explains how forces always come in pairs.

5. Can you provide an example of Newton's 3rd Law in action?

One example is a person rowing a boat. As the oars push against the water, the water pushes back with an equal force, propelling the boat forward. Another example is when a person jumps off a diving board. The person exerts a downward force on the board, causing the board to push back with an equal force, propelling the person upwards into the air.

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