8th Grade Science -- Newton's Third Law

[Swat 3]

For forget's sakes, I cannot understand this.

The law states that if I punch a kitten, the kitten will exert the same force in the opposite direction I pushed.

But since I punched the kitten hard enough, it would move, BUT THIS LAW SAYS that two forces would go at each other in equality, meaning it would cancel the motion and make the forces balanced.

I need to understand this :*(

[Ad Bot]

[Nasoa]

did your hand pass through the cat?

[Boink!]

why would you punch a kitten
punch a ball instead
try the ol' wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_laws_of_motion

[ßlöükfáce]

Don't punch kittens
my feels :(

[Planr]

Take an equally strong friend as yourself and have both of you push against each other. Neither of you will move the other because you both are equally strong and pushing in opposite directions.

[AcornCake]

try punching the kitten harder

[Swat 3]

Guys I am serious.

[Nasoa]

my response was serious. if your hand did not pass straight through the cat, then a force acted against you

[Swat 3]

my response was serious. if your hand did not pass straight through the cat, then a force acted against you

I mean, why doesn't the cat not move according to the law?

[dorkdotdan]

If you shoot someone, the bullet's energy hitting them will be the initial reaction, and the person being pushed backwards by the force of the bullet is the equal and opposite reaction. You supply the initial reaction and whatever follows because of that is the equal/opposite reaction.

So if you punch a kitten (using your example) the equal and opposite reaction would be the kitten being pushed backwards because of the force of your sweaty fist. "Opposite" does not mean it pushed back at you with equal force, it just means you acted against the gravity holding the kitten in place.

[Zloff]

You have to take into consideration rates of acceleration and energy transfers

Pushing a stationary cat will decelerate your hand and accelerate the cat

[Headcrab Zombie]

my response was serious. if your hand did not pass straight through the cat, then a force acted against you

This. The force the kitten (why did you have to use this as your example >: ) exerts is what you feel on your hand.


Another example, say a 150 lb guy is sitting on a chair. Him sitting on the chair is putting force downwards on it. In order to keep him up, the chair puts the same amount of force upwards on him.

[Swat 3]

For the question, a rubber band powered k'nex car is released. We are supposed to, and I quote: "How was Newton’s Third Law demonstrated with your car (gravity or rubber band)? " answer that.

;-;

[Jairo]

if matter cannot be created or destroyed, then how is the universe constantly expanding?

[Zay]

The second object gives an opposite but equal reaction

if I'm not mistaken this can be seen by walking. When you push your foot against the ground you'll exert a force against it, and the ground exerts an equal force against your foot, but onto the opposite direction, which is what pushes you forward

EDIT: Another example is when you hammer a nail onto the wall

using the hammer, you exert a force onto the nail, and the nail exerts the exact same amount of force onto the wall, which is what makes it dig in

if the force reaction happened in the direction of the hammer, it would cancel out like you said in the op

nvm second example made no sense whatsoever now that I think about it