Newton's Third Law: True or False?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around Newton's Third Law and its implications regarding the algebraic sum of forces in a system. Participants are debating whether the statement that the algebraic sum of the forces is equal to zero is true or false, with varying interpretations of the law and the context of the system in question.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between forces as described by Newton's Third Law, questioning whether the forces can be summed algebraically or vectorially. Some express uncertainty about the definition of "the system" and its implications for the statement in question.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with multiple interpretations being explored. Some participants provide reasoning for both true and false positions, while others emphasize the need for clarification on the term "the system." There is a recognition of the importance of vectorial summation in the context of internal forces.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the ambiguity in the phrasing of the question and the need for further information to accurately assess the statement. The distinction between forces acting on separate bodies and the concept of an isolated system is also under consideration.

UNknown 2010
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Hello,
True or False:
- According to Newton third law, the algebraic sum of the forces in the system is equal to zero.

I think the answer is FALSE because, the third law of Newton says that F1 = - F2

and the " - " is for the direction, so that F1 = F2 in the quantity ==> F1 + F2 [tex]\neq[/tex] 0
 
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Well, from what i understand from Newton's third law is, any force will have a counter force of the same magnitude in the opposite direction. So, if u add both, it would be zero.. however, i am not sure that is what they are asking..
 
The answer is true.
If F1 = - F2, the two forces are equal but one is negative
For example,
1+ -1 = 0
At least that is what I think
 
i think its false ,,,
because each force is acting on separate body,,
so we can not find the the algebraic sum of the forces ,,

 
UNknown 2010 said:
True or False:
- According to Newton third law, the algebraic sum of the forces in the system is equal to zero.
This question is impossible to answer without further information on what "the system" means. We have a template that specifically asks for

Homework Statement

. You should have followed the template, UNknown.

redrose_emf said:
i think its false ,,,
because each force is acting on separate body,,
so we can not find the the algebraic sum of the forces
Sure you can. Just add them vectorially. This is a very important concept. The (vectorial) sum of all internal forces must be zero in an isolated system.
 
D H said:
Sure you can. Just add them vectorially. This is a very important concept. The (vectorial) sum of all internal forces must be zero in an isolated system.

thank you for the correction ,,,
 

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