According to Newton’s Third Law, when we push an object, it pushes back with an equal and opposite force.
If the object is a heavy truck parked by the road, it usually won’t move.
A student says this is because the forces cancel each other out.
Explain why this reasoning is incorrect and why the truck doesn’t move.
If the object is a heavy truck parked by the road, it usually won’t move.
A student says this is because the forces cancel each other out.
Explain why this reasoning is incorrect and why the truck doesn’t move.
The static friction between the road and the truck is because the truck has a very high mass. When pushing the truck with a small force, the frictional force the applied force and the truck . This suggests that the two forces are in magnitude but in direction.
Therefore, the student’s logic is .