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### If Newton's third law is true, why can we sink in sand? [duplicate]

Newton's third law of motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. That is the reason we do not sink into the earth, because when our weight exerts a force on the earth it also ...
7k views

### Why does the cart move? [duplicate]

A while ago someone proposed the following thought experiment to me: A horse attached to a cart is resting on a horizontal road. If the horse attempts to move by pulling the cart, according to the ...
2k views

### Action Reaction when I pushing a trolley? [duplicate]

I tried to explain how those force work but I can hardly figure it out. I exerted a force on the trolley and there will be a force on trolley on me as well. This is the newton's third law. But why the ...
2k views

### Why am I not accelerated by the reaction force applied by Earth on me? [duplicate]

Newton's third law says that "to every action, there is always an equal but opposite reaction". And Newton's second law of motion says that, $F=ma$ $=>$ $a=\frac{F}{m}$. People says that If I stand ...
1k views

### Why do objects move when you apply a force that's equal in magnitude to the friction? [duplicate]

If the friction on an object is 200 N and you apply 200 N, it seems, the forces should immediately cancel each other out since the friction and your applied force go in opposite directions, leaving ...
935 views

### Newton's third law confusions [duplicate]

According to Newton's third law of motion, if body A exerts a force on body B, then body B exerts a force on body A that is equal in size but opposite in direction, then how do things move?
2k views

### How are unbalanced forces even possible, given Newton's 3rd law? [duplicate]

The notion of an unbalanced force seems to contradict Newton's third law, entirely. For instance, apparently, if you push a rock, then an unequal force is being applied in the opposite direction with ...
1k views

### Newtons Third Law [duplicate]

In Newtons Third Law, it states that for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. So that means tat for every action, there will be a reaction to cancel it out. So if that is the case ...
2k views

### Clarification regarding Newton's Third Law of Motion and why movement is possible [duplicate]

Newton's third law states that to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If that's the case, then how do things move at all? Shouldn't all applied forces be canceled by the equal and ...
1k views

### Tension and Newton's Third Law [duplicate]

I have heard many people tell me that the tensional force is bi-directional. Consider the following case where a (mass-less) rope is used to transmit tension. The rope is being pulled (by hand) with ...
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### Action is equal to reaction. Then how is a horse able to pull a cart? [duplicate]

Please answer the question in detail. I have tried other websites for answers but was not able to understand properly.
693 views

### two block problem in friction [duplicate]

This is a seemingly basic mechanics problem but I'm having a dilemma in understanding what happens. You start with two blocks, one on top of the other (the bottom block has a larger mass than the top ...
507 views

### If I push my hands against each other, why does the stronger one move the weaker one if the forces should be equal and opposite [duplicate]

If I were pushing my hands against each other, the stronger arm will move the weaker arm, but if all forces have an equal and opposite reaction, why does the weaker one move?
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### Why doesn't the normal force make things move? [duplicate]

Why won't two blocks kept in contact on a horizontal frictionless surface move, due to the normal force? No exterior force is applied to them from any direction (except for gravity). Ok here's more ...
608 views

### According to Newton's third law, why don't Action and Reaction make equilibrium? [duplicate]

According to Newton's third law, Action and Reaction are equal and in opposite direction. If both forces are equal and in opposite direction then why they don't make equilibrium and void the effect of ...
317 views

### Why body starts moving when force is applied? [duplicate]

The recent question by m.buettner regarding self-inductance and its resistance to EMF Faraday's law - does the induced current's magnetic field affect the change in flux?, recalled me the ...
183 views

### Force balancing - Newtonian mechanics [duplicate]

If a horse pulls the carriage, the carriage should pull the horse with equal force (Newton's third law), then how does the whole system move? I drew the free body diagram but not yet figured what ...
491 views

### How is the horse able to pull the cart? [duplicate]

To me, the horse's role is merely to transmit the force it is being pushed forward with by the ground over to the cart. So, let's say, the ground pushes horse with 20 N, the horse pulls cart with 20 N,...
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### How is acceleration in cars possible? [duplicate]

Based on the understanding that Newtons third law states for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, when a car moves forward under driving force, air resistance and friction act equally ...
209 views

### Why does Newton's Third Law not preclude any motion at all? [duplicate]

When walking, if I apply a force of 2N on the earth, the earth applies a force of 2N back on my feet due to Newtons 3rd Law of Motion. These 2 forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, ...
419 views

### Why don't the two forces balance each other In Newton 3rd law? [duplicate]

Why don't the two forces of action and reaction balance each other ? I imagine that although they are opposite forces, they have different points of application. Is this true?
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### Newton's third law. how things can move? [duplicate]

I am beginner in physics and i have some questions about Newton's third law The law says : When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in ...
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### Action and reaction forces during collision [duplicate]

How can the action and reaction force be same.? And if so then how the colliding objects could further move as there net force is Zero. Since F1 = - F2, that means that the force act on both sides ...
283 views

### Newton's third law, why does this body move? [duplicate]

while i have tried reading explanations for why newtons third law doesn't mean objects can't move such as this one: With Newton's third law, why are things capable of moving? I still do not ...
212 views

### Elastic behaviour of objects [duplicate]

If I strike my car with a wrench with enough force to make a dent in it, then it's obvious that I won't be able to produce any acceleration in the car. But I am applying an external deforming force. ...
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### Surface friction and Newton's third law [duplicate]

My question is regarding a specific case displaying Newton's third law. In the diagram below, a man is shown exerting a force on the wall, which in turn causes an equal and opposite reaction force ...
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### Why is only one end at rest when a rope is attached to a cube? [duplicate]

I know there is something wrong in the way I think about physics generally, but I don't know what it is. Suppose there is a cube with a hook on one face and a rope attached to that hook (see diagram)....
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### How does Newton's 3rd Law apply to arm wrestling? [duplicate]

I understand that when we refer to Newton's third law, forces do not cancel out because action-reaction pair forces are acting on different objects. I tried to apply this to arm wrestling, but I am a ...