Question

Your friend stated that action and reaction force pairs do not change motion because they cancel one another out. Explain why your friend is incorrect, using an everyday example to clarify your explanation. In your response, identify which of Newton’s laws of motion applies to action and reaction forces. Contrast action and reaction force pairs and balanced forces.

a) Your friend is correct, and action and reaction forces always cancel each other out.
b) Your friend is incorrect. Action and reaction forces follow Newton's Third Law of Motion, and they can impact motion in different ways.
c) Your friend is incorrect. Action and reaction forces are an example of balanced forces, and they have no effect on motion.
d) Your friend is incorrect. Action and reaction forces are not related to any of Newton's laws of motion.

Answer 1

Your friend is incorrect. Action and reaction forces follow Newton's Third Law of Motion, and they can impact motion in different ways. Action and reaction forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, but they do not cancel each other out. Instead, they affect the motion of the respective objects involved.

Step-by-step explanation:

Your friend is incorrect. Action and reaction forces follow Newton's Third Law of Motion, and they can impact motion in different ways. Newton's third law states that forces always occur in pairs of equal and opposite magnitude. While action and reaction forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, they do not cancel each other out. When a force is applied to an object, the object experiences an acceleration in the direction of the net force. The action force and the reaction force act on different objects, so they cannot cancel each other out. Instead, they can affect the motion of the respective objects involved.

For example, when you jump off a boat onto a dock, your feet exert a force on the dock (action force). Simultaneously, the dock exerts an equal and opposite force on your feet (reaction force). These two forces do not cancel each other out. Instead, they cause both you and the dock to experience an acceleration in opposite directions. You move toward the dock, while the dock moves away from you.

It is important to note that action-reaction force pairs are distinct from balanced forces. Balanced forces occur when the net force on an object is zero, resulting in no change in the object's motion. Action and reaction forces, on the other hand, may have an impact on the motion of the objects involved.