The discussion centers on the interpretation of Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Participants clarify that force pairs do not cancel each other unless they act on the same object. The confusion arises from the misconception that forces acting on different bodies can negate each other. Proper analysis requires drawing separate free body diagrams for each object involved to accurately depict the forces at play.
PREREQUISITESStudents of physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of force interactions and Newton's laws.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.LemmeThink said:Hi!
Could you state Newton's Third Law?
Two forces can cancel each other only if they are acting on the same body. Is that the case with Newton's 3rd law?Varun Narayanan said:Shouldn't force pairs equal in magnitude cancel each other?
On what object (or objects) are those two forces acting on?Varun Narayanan said:Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.