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Difficulty: MediumNewton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)

A tugboat is pushing a heavy cargo barge steadily forward through a shipping channel. The bow of the tugboat is in direct contact with the stern of the barge, exerting a constant forward pushing force of 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} on the barge. According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, which of the following accurately describes the reaction force in this specific mechanical interaction?

  1. The barge exerts a 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} backward pushing force directly against the bow of the tugboat.Answer
  2. B
    The barge exerts a backward force greater than 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} on the tugboat because the barge has a significantly larger mass.
  3. C
    The surrounding water exerts a 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} backward fluid drag force on the barge to maintain a constant speed.
  4. D
    The barge generates an internal resistance of 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} that cancels out the tugboat's applied force within the same body.

Answer

The barge exerts a 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N} backward pushing force directly against the bow of the tugboat.
The correct answer accurately applies the principle that interacting objects exert equal and opposite forces on each other. If the tugboat pushes the barge forward with a specific force, the barge simultaneously pushes the tugboat backward with the exact same amount of force.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary action force and the two interacting bodies described in the scenario.
The action force is the tugboat pushing forward on the barge with 10,000 N10,000 \text{ N}. The two interacting bodies are the tugboat and the barge.
Newton's Third Law applies specifically to a pair of interacting objects.
2
Determine the magnitude and direction of the reaction force.
The reaction force must be exactly equal in magnitude (10,000 N10,000 \text{ N}) and exactly opposite in direction (backward).
According to the law of action and reaction, forces always occur in equal and opposite pairs.
3
Identify which body the reaction force acts upon.
Since the tugboat acts on the barge, the barge must act back on the tugboat.
Action and reaction forces act on different bodies, never on the same body.

Key Concept

Newton's Third Law states that forces occur in simultaneous pairs acting on different objects with equal magnitude and opposite direction.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Newton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)

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