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

When an 80 kg80 \text{ kg} railway worker pushes horizontally against a stationary 4,000 kg4,000 \text{ kg} railcar, the railcar exerts a backward reaction force on the worker that is greater than the worker's forward pushing force, due to the railcar's significantly larger mass.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The statement is false because action and reaction forces in a mechanical interaction are always exactly equal in magnitude, even when there is an extreme discrepancy between the masses of the two interacting objects.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two interacting bodies and the nature of the interaction.
The worker applies a forward pushing force (action) on the railcar, and the railcar applies a backward contact force (reaction) on the worker.
Forces always occur in pairs resulting from mutual interactions between two objects.
2
Evaluate the magnitude of the forces using Newton's Third Law of Motion.
The force exerted by the worker is exactly equal in magnitude to the force exerted by the railcar.
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, regardless of differences in size, mass, or acceleration.
3
Determine if the railcar's larger mass increases its reaction force.
The mass difference does not change the force equality; it only means the railcar will experience significantly less acceleration from the same force compared to the worker.
Force equality is universally true in action-reaction pairs; F=maF=ma dictates acceleration, not the initial interaction force.

Key Concept

Newton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)
Estimated Time:45s
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Newton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)

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