Final answer:
Objects that make contact apply equal and opposite forces on each other in accordance with Newton's third law of motion. This interaction involves equal magnitudes and opposite directions, applying to both contact forces and field forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
When objects make contact with each other, according to Newton's third law of motion, they apply forces on each other that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. This principle is demonstrated by the answer to the question: Objects that make contact with each other apply equal and opposite forces on each other. Thus, the correct answer is a combination of both a. Equal forces and b. Opposite forces. This concept is an essential aspect of understanding the interaction between objects, demonstrating that each force is part of an action-reaction pair.
As stated in Essential Knowledge 3.A.4, if one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object always exerts a force of equal magnitude on the first object in the opposite direction. This concept applies to both contact forces and field forces. In the scenario of contact forces, such as when a person sits on a chair, the chair exerts an upward force on the person equal to the gravitational force pulling the person down. This is often referred to as the normal force, and it is an example of equal and opposite forces in action.