Wall Acceleration: Physics Noob's Curious Query

[classicalguss]

I'm a bit of a physics noob, but I am always curious about everything in the world.

I concluded from Newton's third law that when you exert a force on a wall it exerts a force back on you. But I want to know from where does that force actually come?

I mean ok you as a person might have a mass and an acceleration, but the wall doesn't though, so how come it has a force that it exerts on you? Does the wall accelerate to begin with?

 

[Doc Al]

The wall or you--or any other object--will only accelerate if there's a net force on it. When you push the wall there are other forces acting on the wall (such as the ground) which prevent it from accelerating. Similarly, when you push the wall you don't accelerate either (unless you're standing on a puddle of oil) since the ground also exerts a force on you.

 

[classicalguss]

Thanks for the reply, and I think things are more clear now. The formula for Force though is F=ma. But since you said neither I or the wall accelerate, then how does it come, or better put, how would you ever calculate that kind of force.

 

[olivermsun]

To measure it directly, you could do something like put a spring scale between you and the wall. If it's some other structure, for example a beam which you know the properties of, you might measure the deflection of the beam when you push on it. (This is how a beam torque wrench works).

Anyhow, despite not contributing to any motion, these reaction forces have important implications -- for example, you might like to know how strong your wall needs to be.

 

[Doc Al]

The formula for Force though is F=ma.

That's a formula for net force, better written as: ΣF = ma.

But since you said neither I or the wall accelerate, then how does it come, or better put, how would you ever calculate that kind of force.

To produce an acceleration, all you need is a net force.

 

[russ_watters]

That's a formula for net force, better written as: ΣF = ma.

In other words, there are lots of other equations for force and that one doesn't really apply here.

 

[rcgldr]

If you push on a wall, the surface of the wall compresses a bit, similar to a sping. So does the surface of your hands, if you're pushing with your hands. The amount of compression corresponds to the amount of force (it's probably not linear like a spring though).