Final answer:
The conservation of momentum directly corresponds with Newton's third law, as the conservation principle applies in interactions where force pairs are equal and opposite, thereby keeping the total system momentum constant when no net external forces are present.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conservation of momentum relates to Newton's third law because they both involve the interactions and forces between objects. In any closed system where the net external force is zero, the conservation of momentum principle states that the total momentum remains constant.
This is observed when two objects interact; according to Newton's third law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The forces exerted by the objects on each other are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, which ensures that the total momentum of the system before and after the interaction remains constant, if no external forces are acting on the system.
This principle is evident when analyzing collisions or other interactions. For instance, in a collision between two cars, if we consider the two-car system and assume no external forces act on it, the total momentum of this closed system is conserved.
Similarly, the forces the cars exert on each other are equal and opposite, satisfying Newton's third law. Therefore, understanding the conservation of momentum is crucial in analyzing the outcomes of collisions and interactions in many areas of physics, including classical and modern physics where relativistic momentum is conserved.