Newton's second and third law questions Where am I wrong?

The reaction of weight is the normal force on the ground, but the reaction on the ground is not the normal force on you.
  • #1
benji
48
0
I have some homework that is due on Wednesday (so I have some time to finish this), but I'm trying to get most of it done soon. I'm having trouble answering some Newton's laws questions and I don't understand why my answers are not correct. Here is what I have thus far:

You push a box horizontally along level ground at constant velocity. The magnitude of the friction force from the ground on the box is EQUAL TO the magnitude of your force BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S SECOND LAW.

You are standing on a hill where the ground is sloped. The magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the normal force from you on the ground BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.

You are standing at a place where the ground is level. The magnitude of your weight is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.

You push a box horizontally along level ground but friction is causing the box to slow down. The magnitude of the friction force from the ground on the box is GREATER THAN the magnitude of your force BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S SECOND LAW.

You are facing your (very large and very strong) friend, Commander Worf. Worf gets very angry and pushes you to the ground. Worf remains stationary (a = 0). The magnitude of the force from Worf on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the force from you on Worf BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.

You are standing on a hill where the ground is sloped. The magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of your weight BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.


The parts in caps are where I have to fill in answers. I have thought every single one of these over and over and I keep coming up with these answers, yet my online homework system tells me that it's wrong. Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong and why? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
 
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  • #2
benji said:
You are standing on a hill where the ground is sloped. The magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of your weight BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.
Here is your problem. Perhaps if you try drawing a freebody diagram, note the following two points;

(1)The normal reaction force always acts perpendicular to the slope.
(2)Gravity will always act straight down.

Perhaps, in future this type of question would be more appropriate in the homework forums.:smile:
 
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  • #3
Ok well I figured it would be MORE THAN, but I entered that and it said I had already tried it before and it was incorrect. Then I tried LESS THAN and it said it was still incorrect.

I thought this WAS the homework forums? Do you/anyone see any other possibilities for error?
 
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  • #4
Anyone have any idea?
 
  • #5
3) is wrong, normal force and weight ARE NOT action reaction pair. the action reaction pair should be weight and the gravitational attraction you exert on the earth.
it should be Newton first law (or second law) it is quite ambiguous what things they want... well you can try both...

last one: if the "normal force" does not include friction, then yeah it should be less than and i guess according to Newton's first law.
 
  • #6
benji said:
I have some homework that is due on Wednesday (so I have some time to finish this), but I'm trying to get most of it done soon. I'm having trouble answering some Newton's laws questions and I don't understand why my answers are not correct. Here is what I have thus far:

You push a box horizontally along level ground at constant velocity. The magnitude of the friction force from the ground on the box is EQUAL TO the magnitude of your force BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S SECOND LAW.
I would agree
You are standing on a hill where the ground is sloped. The magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the normal force from you on the ground BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.
I would agree
You are standing at a place where the ground is level. The magnitude of your weight is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.
I would disagree (tim_lou already explained)
You push a box horizontally along level ground but friction is causing the box to slow down. The magnitude of the friction force from the ground on the box is GREATER THAN the magnitude of your force BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S SECOND LAW.
Iwould agree
You are facing your (very large and very strong) friend, Commander Worf. Worf gets very angry and pushes you to the ground. Worf remains stationary (a = 0). The magnitude of the force from Worf on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of the force from you on Worf BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.
I would agree
You are standing on a hill where the ground is sloped. The magnitude of the normal force from the ground on you is EQUAL TO the magnitude of your weight BECAUSE OF NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.

again, a problem here. Those two forces are not action-reaction pairs.
 

FAQ: Newton's second and third law questions Where am I wrong?

What is Newton's second law?

Newton's second law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. In equation form, it is written as F=ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration.

What is Newton's third law?

Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force back on the first object.

How are Newton's second and third laws related?

Newton's second and third laws are closely related because they both describe the relationship between force and motion. The second law explains how force affects an object's motion, while the third law explains how forces are always paired and act in opposite directions.

What is an example of Newton's second law in everyday life?

An example of Newton's second law in everyday life is pushing a shopping cart. The force that you apply to the cart causes it to accelerate in the direction you are pushing. The more force you apply, the faster the cart will accelerate.

What is an example of Newton's third law in everyday life?

An example of Newton's third law in everyday life is jumping on a trampoline. When you jump on the trampoline, the trampoline exerts an equal and opposite force back on you, causing you to bounce back up. This is because the force you applied to the trampoline (your weight) is equal to the force the trampoline applies back on you.

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