The discussion revolves around the application of Newton's Third Law to the scenario of attempting to lift oneself by pulling on shoelaces. Participants are exploring the fundamental principles of action and reaction forces in this context.
The discussion includes attempts to clarify misunderstandings regarding the nature of forces involved. Some participants are providing rephrased explanations to aid comprehension, while others are seeking further detail and clarification on the concepts being discussed.
There appears to be some confusion regarding the definitions and implications of action and reaction forces, as well as the conditions under which forces can cancel each other out. Participants are encouraged to explore these concepts further.
astrololo said:Homework Statement
I need to explain why I can't lift myself by pulling my shoes' laces.
The Attempt at a Solution
My explanation is that by pulling on your laces, there is always going to be a force that goes against your force, so this is why you can't pull yourself up. (So we're using NEwton's third as an explanation) Is this correct ?[/B]
Sorry, I didn't phrase correctly what I meant. But is what you wrote the explanation for why I cna't pull myself ?Mister T said:No this is not correct. Let me rephrase your answer in a way that might help you see this.
You pull up on your laces, your laces pull down on you. One of these two forces (they're an action/reaction pair) is on your shoe laces. The other is on you. Since the forces act on different objects, they can't cancel each other out. For two forces to be able to cancel each other they would need to act on the same object.
astrololo said:Sorry, I didn't phrase correctly what I meant. But is what you wrote the explanation for why I cna't pull myself ?