Newton's Third Law in Collisions

Newton's Third Law of Motion

• Newton's Third Law states that for every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
• In other words, when one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts a force of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction.

Application in Collisions

• Newton's Third Law plays a crucial role in collisions between objects.
• In a collision, two objects are always involved, and they exert forces on each other according to this law.
• These forces act simultaneously during the collision.

Example

• Let's consider a collision between a ball and a racquet as an example:
  • When the ball collides with the racquet, the ball exerts a force to the right on the racquet.
  • According to Newton's Third Law, the racquet simultaneously exerts an equal force to the left on the ball.
  • This opposing force from the racquet causes a change in the ball's direction, leading to its rebound.

Mathematical Representation

• Newton's Third Law can be mathematically represented as follows:
  • If object A exerts a force (F) on object B to the right, then object B exerts an equal force (-F) on object A to the left.

Balanced Forces

• In collisions, the forces are balanced due to Newton's Third Law.
• The system's total momentum remains conserved because the forces between the objects cancel each other out.

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Newton's Third Law in Collisions

Key Takeaway

• Newton's Third Law explains the interaction of forces in collisions.
• It ensures that momentum is conserved in a collision, as the forces between objects always come in equal and opposite pairs.

Summary

• Newton's Third Law of Motion applies to collisions, where the force of one object on another is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.
• This law ensures that forces are balanced in collisions, leading to the conservation of momentum in the system.