Shouldn't force pairs equal in magnitude cancel each other?

[Varun Narayanan]

Homework Statement

If every action has an equivalent and opposite reaction, how is that anything ever happens ?. Shouldn't force pairs equal in magnitude cancel each other?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried drawing a free body diagram, but it didn't help much. This is a conceptual problem for me

 

[LemmeThink]

Hi!
Could you state Newton's Third Law?

 

[Varun Narayanan]

Hi!
Could you state Newton's Third Law?

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

 

[LemmeThink]

Here's the proper statement : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_laws_of_motion#Newton.27s_third_law

 

[cnh1995]

Shouldn't force pairs equal in magnitude cancel each other?

Two forces can cancel each other only if they are acting on the same body. Is that the case with Newton's 3rd law?

 

[SammyS]

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

On what object (or objects) are those two forces acting on?

 

[Chestermiller]

Have you drawn a free body diagram for each body separately, showing only the forces acting on each body separately?