Action-reaction pairs of forces are a concept derived from Newton's Third Law. They describe the relationship between two objects where one object exerts a force on another, and the second object exerts an equal but opposite force back on the first object.
Imagine playing a game of tug-of-war with a friend. When you pull on the rope with a certain amount of force, your friend pulls back with an equal amount of force in the opposite direction.
Balanced Forces: Balanced forces occur when two or more forces acting on an object cancel each other out, resulting in no net force and no change in motion.
Net Force: The net force is the vector sum of all individual forces acting on an object. It determines the acceleration or deceleration of an object.
Equilibrium: Equilibrium refers to a state where all forces acting on an object balance each other out, resulting in zero net force and no change in motion.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.