Answer:
Refer to the explanation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Action and reaction forces are described by Newton's third law of motion.
Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction on the first object. These forces are called action and reaction forces and are the subject of Newton's third law of motion.
To give a thorough explanation:
- Newton's First Law (also known as the law of inertia) states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a net external force. This law describes the behavior of a body not subjected to forces or subjected to a force balance where the net force is zero.
- Newton's Second Law provides the quantitative measure of the force. It states that the force acting on a body is equal to the mass of the body times its acceleration (F = ma). This law connects the concept of force with the changes it can produce in the motion of a body.
- Newton's Third Law is about force interactions between two objects. It indicates a fundamental symmetry in nature: forces always occur in pairs, and one body cannot exert a force on another without experiencing a force itself. This is the law that explicitly describes action and reaction forces. When you sit on a chair, your body exerts a downward force on the chair (action force), and the chair exerts an upward force on your body (reaction force). These two forces are of equal magnitude but in opposite directions.
There is no Newton's Fourth Law of Motion; Newton only proposed three laws of motion.
In summary, action and reaction forces, which are always equal and opposite and act on two different bodies, are a direct consequence of Newton's third law of motion. These principles form the bedrock of classical mechanics and have vast applications in understanding the physical behavior of objects in our universe.