Question

When a fruit falls from a tree, what is the nature of the force that the fruit exerts on the Earth?

• A. Less than its weight
• B. Equal to its weight and in the same direction.
• C. Not equal to its weight
• D. Equal to its weight and opposite in direction.

Answer 1

The correct option is D Equal to its weight and opposite in direction.

According to Newton’s third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The fruit which gets attracted by the Earth exerts a force of equal magnitude on the Earth in the opposite direction. So, the gravitational force on the fruit and the earth form action-reaction pairs.