IF you have two objects with different masses collide hitting each other, will the force between them be the same or different when they hit?

how come?

1 Answer
Mark C.
Feb 3, 2018

This is one of the best puzzles in Physics, as nearly every student will say “different” particularly if the two objects are of different mass.

Explanation:

The answer is it must be the same, and the reason is Newton’s 3rd law. Any two objects that are exerting forces on each other form a reaction pair, so have force some that are equal in magnitude (same size) but opposite in direction.

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