Consider a horse pulling a buggy. Is the
following statement true?
The weight of the horse and normal force
exerted by the ground on the horse constitute
an interaction pair that are always equal and
opposite according to Newton’s third law.
It's no, just answered it
Yes, the statement is true. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, the action is the weight of the horse pulling the buggy, and the reaction is the normal force exerted by the ground on the horse. These two forces are considered an interaction pair and they are always equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, according to Newton's third law.
Yes, the statement is true. According to Newton's third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of the horse pulling a buggy, the weight of the horse and the normal force exerted by the ground on the horse are an interaction pair.
To understand this better, let's break it down:
1. Weight of the horse: The weight of an object is the force exerted on it due to gravity. Gravity pulls the horse downward, giving it weight. This weight is the force that the Earth exerts on the horse.
2. Normal force exerted by the ground: When the horse stands on the ground, the ground pushes back on the horse with an equal and opposite force. This force is known as the normal force. It prevents the horse from sinking into the ground and counterbalances the weight of the horse.
According to Newton's third law, the weight of the horse and the normal force exerted by the ground on the horse are an interaction pair because they act on different objects but have equal magnitude and opposite direction. The weight of the horse pulls it downward, while the normal force from the ground pushes upward.
Therefore, for every action of the horse pulling down due to its weight, there is an equal and opposite reaction from the ground pushing up with the normal force.