The discussion clarifies the concept of action-reaction forces in the context of a falling leaf. When a leaf falls, the force of gravity acting on it is equal to its weight, represented as mg. The reaction force is not air resistance; instead, it is the force exerted by the leaf on the Earth, which is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the gravitational force. This understanding is crucial for grasping Newton's third law of motion.
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You are miss-understanding the concept of action-reaction forces; the action-reaction pair act on different bodies. If the Earth exerts of force of magnitude mg on the leaf, then the leaf exerts a force of equal magnitude on the Earth but in the opposite direction.solars said:When a leaf begins to fall to a ground from a tree, what is the reaction force ot the force of gravity on the leaf?
Is it air resistance?
Hootenanny said:You are miss-understanding the concept of action-reaction forces; the action-reaction pair act on different bodies. If the Earth exerts of force of magnitude mg on the leaf, then the leaf exerts a force of equal magnitude on the Earth but in the opposite direction.