Using newtons third law of motion, and action reaction pairs explain the following situations
A person with ordinary shoes is able to walk on a sidewalk
A rocket accelerates in the vacuum of outer space
Thanks for the help, any would be great!
on the first, think of this: A person with frictionless shoes trying to walk.
On the second, exactly what is a "reaction" force?
Sure! I'll explain both situations using Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
1. A person with ordinary shoes walking on a sidewalk:
When a person walks, they push against the ground with their feet. According to Newton's third law, this action (force) exerted by the person's feet on the ground creates an equal and opposite reaction force from the ground. As a result, the ground pushes back on the person's feet, propelling them forward. This reaction force allows the person to move forward and walk on the sidewalk.
In simple terms, when the person pushes on the ground, the ground pushes back with an equal force, enabling the person to move forward. The interaction between the person's feet and the sidewalk illustrates the action-reaction pair in this situation.
2. A rocket accelerating in the vacuum of outer space:
In outer space, where there is a vacuum and no air resistance, a rocket is able to accelerate due to Newton's third law. The rocket engine expels high-speed exhaust gases in one direction (action). According to Newton's third law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, the expulsion of gases creates a reaction force that propels the rocket in the opposite direction.
The rocket's engine generates a large amount of thrust by expelling gases out of its tailpipe. As the gases are expelled, they exert a force in one direction, pushing against the rocket. In response, the rocket experiences an equal and opposite force in the opposite direction, pushing it forward. This reaction force allows the rocket to accelerate in space.
To summarize, the action is the expulsion of gases from the rocket's engine, and the reaction is the forward propulsion of the rocket itself. This action-reaction pair follows Newton's third law.