- #1
Brin
- 73
- 0
I am so very confused by this third law business.
It all started with me thinking about whether it is true that heavy and light objects fall at the same rate (I don't mean approximately).
I figured that they don't. While the Earth attracts, say, an elephant and a small rubber ball, at the same rate, each object, respectively, attracts the Earth in a different amount. Thus the 'gap' between the two objects closes quicker between the Earth and the elephant, than between a rubber ball and an elephant. The elephant hits sooner even if the difference in time is ridiculously small.
Edit: I am thinking of rigid elephants and rubber balls acting at large distances.
BUT, Newton's third law says that the Earth attracts the elephant, and that the elephant has an equal but opposite attraction, right? So my misunderstanding then is, how can the elephant exert 2 forces simultaneously? One force being by its own mass, via gravity, and then another one in equal but opposite response to the Earth's gravity.
I know this is simple, but geez, my brain is all looped up. I think I am missing something.
It all started with me thinking about whether it is true that heavy and light objects fall at the same rate (I don't mean approximately).
I figured that they don't. While the Earth attracts, say, an elephant and a small rubber ball, at the same rate, each object, respectively, attracts the Earth in a different amount. Thus the 'gap' between the two objects closes quicker between the Earth and the elephant, than between a rubber ball and an elephant. The elephant hits sooner even if the difference in time is ridiculously small.
Edit: I am thinking of rigid elephants and rubber balls acting at large distances.
BUT, Newton's third law says that the Earth attracts the elephant, and that the elephant has an equal but opposite attraction, right? So my misunderstanding then is, how can the elephant exert 2 forces simultaneously? One force being by its own mass, via gravity, and then another one in equal but opposite response to the Earth's gravity.
I know this is simple, but geez, my brain is all looped up. I think I am missing something.