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

Match each described action force with its corresponding reaction force according to Newton's Third Law of Motion.

  • A swimmer's hands push backward against the water.The water pushes forward against the swimmer's hands.
  • A descending hammer exerts a downward force on a nail.The nail exerts an upward force on the descending hammer.
  • A rocket engine forcefully expels hot exhaust gases backward.The hot exhaust gases push forward on the rocket engine.
  • A heavy box exerts a downward contact force on the floor.The floor exerts an upward normal force on the heavy box.

Answer

Each action force must be paired with a reaction force that is equal in magnitude, opposite in direction, and acting on the original body.
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. To correctly identify the corresponding pair, you simply reverse the 'pusher' and the 'receiver' objects, and reverse the physical direction of the force.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two interacting objects in each scenario.
The paired objects are identified (e.g., swimmer/water, hammer/nail, rocket/gas, box/floor).
Reaction forces always occur between the exact same two interacting bodies.
2
Determine the direction of the action force.
The initial force directions are identified (e.g., backward, downward).
The reaction force must be in the exact opposite direction.
3
Select the reaction force that swaps the acting object and reverses the direction.
The correct matches are successfully established.
This satisfies the fundamental definition of action and reaction pairs.

Key Concept

Newton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)
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Topics

Newton's Third Law (Action/Reaction)

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