Jessica's weight is 540 newtons. According to the Third Law, if the Earth pulls on Jessica with a force of 540 N, then Jessica pulls on the Earth with a force of 540 newtons that acts in the opposite direction. However, if Jessica stumbles while rollerblading, she will fall down to the ground. Explain why this happens.
Please help!! I am a bit confused.
Sure! I'd be happy to help explain why Jessica falls down to the ground when she stumbles while rollerblading.
When Jessica is standing on the ground, she experiences a downward force due to gravity, which we can refer to as her weight. In this case, we know her weight is 540 newtons. According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
So, when Jessica is standing on the ground, the Earth pulls on her with a force of 540 newtons (her weight), and she pulls on the Earth with a force of 540 newtons in the opposite direction. These forces are equal in magnitude but act in opposite directions.
Now, when Jessica stumbles while rollerblading, her body starts to lose balance and her center of mass shifts. To regain her balance, she needs to exert a force on the ground in the opposite direction of her impending fall. This force, known as the frictional force, helps her push against the ground and prevent herself from falling.
However, when Jessica stumbles, her reaction time might be too short, or the friction between her rollerblades and the ground might not be strong enough to provide the necessary force quickly. As a result, she may fail to exert enough force to stop her fall. Additionally, if her center of mass is displaced too far from her base of support, it becomes harder for her to stabilize herself.
Since her body continues to move forward due to inertia, without sufficient opposing force, her body cannot maintain its balance, causing her to fall down to the ground.
In summary, when Jessica stumbles while rollerblading, she falls because she fails to exert enough opposing force to counteract her forward motion and regain her balance, causing her center of mass to move outside her base of support.