Physics First

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POGIL: Action and Reaction Forces We have seen in our previous lab that when an agent pushes or pulls on an object, the object exerts a force back on the agent with the same amount of force but in the opposite direction. This observation is described by Newtons Third Law of Motion. In this POGIL we will learn to identify the two forces involved in such interactions. Newtons Third Law of Motion When an agent exerts a force on an object, we will refer to this force as the action force. The object in turn exerts a force back on the agent; we will refer to this force as the reaction force. Newtons Third Law of Motion, which describes these two forces, is often stated as: For every action (force), there is an equal and opposite reaction (force). The following illustrations show some examples of action and reaction force pairs. Boy pushes wall to the right with a force of 5 N Wall pushes boy to the left with a force of 5 N

Hammer hits wooden stake down with a force of 200 N

Wooden stake hits hammer upward with a force of 200 N

Earth pulls boulder down with a gravitational force of 5000 N Boulder pulls Earth up with a gravitational force of 5000 N

1. For each of the action forces listed above, identify the agent and object. (a) Boy pushes wall to the right with a force of 5 N. agent: object:

(b) Hammer hits wooden stake down with a force of 200 N. agent: object:

(c) Earth pulls boulder down with a gravitational force of 5000 N. agent: object:

Physics First

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2. The statements below describe an action force. For each one identify the agent, the object, and the reaction force. (a) Action: The bat hits the baseball with a force of 2700 N to the right. agent: Reaction: object:

(b)

Action: The cannon pushes the cannonball to the right with a force of 3500 N. agent: Reaction: object:

(c)

Action: The balloon pushes air down with a force of 2 N. agent: Reaction: object:

(d)

Action: The foot pushes back on the ground with a friction force of 30 N agent: Reaction: object:

3. Question 2(d) shows that when we walk, we push backwards on the ground. Why does this cause us to accelerate forward?

4. How can a rocket accelerate in space when there is no air for the rocket to push against?