When a physics student kicks an unmoveable brick wall he hurts his toe, as expla

Question

When a physics student kicks an unmoveable brick wall he hurts his toe, as explained by Newton's third law of motion. However, when he kicks a soccer ball it moves. Is Newton's third law still valid in this case?

a. Yes, the force from the toe is still equal to the force back from the ball.
b. Maybe, depending on the speed of the kick.
c. No, the force from the toe is actually much larger than the force back from the ball.
d. No, the force from the toe is just a little larger than the force back from the ball.
e. Maybe, depending on the mass of the ball.

Explanation / Answer

Newton’s third law of motion stated that for any action force there will be an opposite reaction force. The magnitudes of action and reaction forces are same in magnitude.

From the Newton’s third law of motion, the force exerted by the toe (action) on the ball is equal to the force exerted by the ball on toe in opposite direction with the same magnitude. Thus, the option (a) is correct answer.

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