Final answer:
Each hockey puck exerts a contact force on the other during a collision, causing both to reverse direction according to Newton's Third Law of Motion. Therefore given statement is C
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best describes the contact forces involved in the collision of two hockey pucks sliding toward each other on an ice rink is that each puck provided a contact force on the other puck. According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, when the pucks collide and bounce off each other, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other, causing both to reverse direction. This scenario disregards any effects of friction from the ice, as they are considered negligible in this context.