Understanding Newton's Third Law: Equal and Opposite Forces

What is the result when a 600 g bat is swung quickly and hits a 150 g baseball?

a. The bat exerts a larger force on the ball than the ball exerts on the bat.
b. The bat exerts a force on the ball, but the ball does not exert a force on the bat.
c. The bat exerts the same amount force on the ball as the ball exerts on the bat.
d. The bat exerts less force on the ball than the ball exerts on the bat.

Answer:

The correct answer is c) The bat exerts the same amount of force on the ball as the ball exerts on the bat.

When the bat hits the ball, they both exert equal and opposite forces on each other. This is known as Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, the force applied by the bat on the ball is the same as the force applied by the ball on the bat.

This principle can be observed in various situations, such as when swinging a bat or shooting a gun, where the force exerted on an object is reciprocated by an equal force on the opposite object.

Newton's Third Law of Motion is essential in understanding how objects interact with each other and the forces involved in such interactions.