Question

“Action and reaction are equal and opposite so they cancel each other.” Is it a correct statement?

Answer 1

1. According to Newton's third law of motion, “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction whereas action and reaction act on different objects.”
2. NO, action and reaction cannot cancel each other because they act on different objects.
3. Action and reaction act simultaneously but on different objects. In this case, the tabletop and the block are two different objects on which action and reaction act simultaneously.
4. The magnitude of the force exerted by the block on the tabletop is equal in magnitude to the force exerted by the tabletop on the block. But they are opposite in direction.
5. Action and reaction do not produce the same acceleration because action and reactions act on different objects that have different masses.