Newtons 3rd law says that an object exerts the same force back. Then why is it that if I push hard enough then the object will move? Is there a name for the total amount of force an object can put against me?
In: Physics
The object does push back just as hard, at least if you consider how hard it’s pushing as force. But what you need to keep in mind is that the rate you move/accelerate is based on your mass, and that the force is only applied for as long as you are in contact.
So when you throw a ball you are applying a force to the ball, the ball applies force back. While the ball is in contact with you it keeps getting accelerated forward, while you are accelerated back. This stops as soon as you release the ball. You, however can tansfer thas force into the ground effectively combining your mass with the mass of the earth. Since that combined mass is many many times larger than the mass of the ball you move backward very little, and don’t really feel it, but it’s there.
The effect is a bit more apparent if you have two things of similar mass on a slippery surface, like if you were to push of someone else while standing on ice. Both you and the person pushed would end up moving away from your original spot at about the same speed.
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