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
According to the third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. What I understand from your question is, if there’s an equal opposite reaction, why doesn’t the force get cancelled out? Why do things move?
Even though there is an equal opposite reaction, these two forces are not acting on the same object.
Since Force = Mass x Acceleration,
And newton’s third law states F1 = -F2,
Even if both the forces are equal, the masses aren’t equal, therefore the acceleration is adjusted to keep F1=-F2.
For example, if you jump on the ground, you exert some force on the ground and the ground exerts the same force on you. But the Earth’s mass is way more than yours, that’s why the Earth doesn’t move, you do.
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