Identify Action-Reaction Force Pairs - Physics
- Which requirement must be true for two forces to be an action-reaction pair: same object or different objects?
- Different objects. Third law pairs always act on two separate objects, never the same one.
- Which property must be true for an action-reaction pair: same object or different objects?
- Different objects. Action-reaction pairs always involve two separate objects interacting.
- Identify the reaction force to: A rope pulls a crate forward (tension on crate).
- The crate pulls the rope backward (tension on rope). Tension forces are mutual; the crate pulls back on the rope equally.
- What is Newton's third law statement used to identify action-reaction force pairs?
- Forces occur in equal-magnitude, opposite-direction pairs on different objects. Newton's third law states every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
- Identify the reaction force to: A car tire pushes the road backward.
- The road pushes the tire forward. Cars move forward because tires push road backward, road pushes tire forward.
- Identify the reaction force to: A table exerts a normal force on a book.
- The book exerts a normal force on the table. Normal forces form action-reaction pairs between surfaces in contact.
- Which option is the action-reaction pair for tension: rope pulls on a crate to the right?
- Crate pulls on the rope to the left. Tension creates equal and opposite forces at each end of the rope.
- Which pair is an action-reaction pair: weight and normal on a book, or book-on-table and table-on-book?
- Book-on-table and table-on-book. Weight involves Earth; normal involves table. Book-table forces are paired.
- Which condition must match for an action-reaction pair: same type of interaction or different types?
- Same type of interaction (both contact, or both gravitational, etc.). Pairs must be same interaction type: both contact or both gravitational.
- Identify the reaction force to: Earth pulls a ball downward by gravity.
- The ball pulls Earth upward by gravity. By Newton's third law, the ball exerts equal gravitational force on Earth.
- Identify the reaction force to: a bat exerts a force on a baseball during impact.
- The baseball exerts a force on the bat. Contact forces during collision are always mutual between objects.
- Identify the reaction force to: A rocket pushes exhaust gases downward.
- The exhaust gases push the rocket upward. Rocket propulsion: gases push rocket up as rocket pushes gases down.
- Identify the reaction force to: A charged rod exerts an electric force on a charged ball.
- The charged ball exerts an electric force on the rod. Electric forces obey Newton's third law; both charges exert equal forces.
- Identify the reaction force to: A hand pushes a wall to the right.
- The wall pushes the hand to the left. The wall exerts equal force back, preventing the hand from moving through.
- Identify the reaction force to: A person pushes the ground backward while walking.
- The ground pushes the person forward. Walking involves pushing ground backward; ground pushes person forward.
- Which statement is correct about action-reaction forces: do they cancel in a free-body diagram?
- No; they act on different objects, so they are not on one free-body diagram. Action-reaction pairs act on different objects, never appear together in FBD.
- Identify the reaction force to: Earth pulls a falling apple downward (gravity).
- The apple pulls Earth upward (gravity). By Newton's third law, gravitational forces are mutual between objects.
- Identify whether these two forces are a third-law pair: weight on a book and normal on the book.
- No; both forces act on the book, so they are not a third-law pair. Third law requires different objects; weight and normal both act on book.
- If pushes with to the east, what is the reaction force on ?
- to the west (force of on ). Equal magnitude, opposite direction: east becomes west.
- Identify the reaction force to: the ground pushes up on a standing person (normal force).
- The person pushes down on the ground. The normal force from ground has its reaction as person pushing down.
- Identify the reaction force to: a rocket pushes exhaust gases backward.
- The exhaust gases push the rocket forward. Rocket propulsion relies on action-reaction between rocket and gases.
- Identify the reaction force to: Air exerts drag backward on a moving cyclist.
- The cyclist exerts a forward force on the air. Air resistance has a reaction: the object pushes air in opposite direction.
- Identify the reaction force to: the road exerts friction backward on a skidding tire.
- The tire exerts friction forward on the road. During skidding, friction forces form an action-reaction pair.
- What must be true about the directions of forces in an action-reaction pair?
- They are opposite in direction. Action-reaction pairs point in opposite directions along the same line.
- Identify the reaction force to: a magnet pulls a paperclip toward the magnet.
- The paperclip pulls the magnet toward the paperclip. Magnetic forces are mutual - both objects pull on each other equally.
- What must be true about the magnitudes of forces in an action-reaction pair?
- They are equal in magnitude. Newton's third law requires forces in pairs to have identical magnitudes.
- Identify the reaction force to: a tire pushes backward on the road during acceleration.
- The road pushes forward on the tire. Friction pairs: tire pushes road backward, road pushes tire forward.
- Find the action-reaction pair: air pushes upward on a parachute (drag force).
- The parachute pushes downward on the air. Air resistance pairs: air pushes parachute up, parachute pushes air down.
- Identify the reaction force to: a book pushes down on a table.
- The table pushes up on the book. The table responds with an equal upward normal force on the book.
- Identify the reaction force to: a hand pushes on a wall.
- The wall pushes on the hand. By Newton's third law, the wall exerts an equal force back on the hand.
- Identify the reaction force to: The ground exerts friction on a shoe forward.
- The shoe exerts friction on the ground backward. Friction forces form action-reaction pairs between surfaces.
- Identify the reaction force to: A magnet pulls a paperclip toward it.
- The paperclip pulls the magnet toward it. Magnetic forces are mutual; both objects attract each other equally.
- Identify the reaction force to: a person pulls upward on a rope in a tug system.
- The rope pulls downward on the person. Tension forces in rope create equal and opposite pulls on both ends.
- If object exerts force on , what is the reaction force notation?
- . Subscripts reverse for reaction force: on becomes on .
- Which statement is correct: action-reaction forces cancel on one object, or act on different objects?
- They act on different objects, so they do not cancel on one object. Third law pairs can't cancel because they act on separate objects.
- Identify the reaction force to: a hammer exerts a force on a nail.
- The nail exerts a force on the hammer. Impact forces are mutual - the nail pushes back on the hammer.
- Identify the reaction force to: a swimmer pushes water backward with their hands.
- The water pushes the swimmer forward. By Newton's third law, water exerts equal force forward on swimmer.