Violation of Newton's third law

In summary, the stone sinks because of the gravitational force, but it should also float because of the buoyant force.
  • #1
Madhusree Bera
1
0
when a stone is dropped in a beaker containing water,it sinks.But according to Newton's third law of motion the water should also exert an equal force upwards...so the stone should float. This violating the third law but why?
 
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  • #2
Acceleration is based on the net force on each object.

Newton's third law says that the force of one object on another is equal and opposite.

The gravitational force between the stone and the Earth is making the stone sink.

The water is not exerting an upward force on the stone equal to the force of gravity between the stone and the earth.
 
  • #3
Madhusree Bera said:
the water should also exert an equal force upwards
Equal to what?

Madhusree Bera said:
This violating the third law but why?
If you think it does, you should explain why.
 
  • #4
The force of the stone on the water, is equal and opposite the force of the water on the stone. Call these forces magnitude Fw
The force of gravity on the stone, call this Ws is greater than the force of the water on the stone Ws>Fw , Thus the stone continues to accelerate downward through the water.
The force of gravity on the Earth is equal and opposite the force of gravity on the stone. So Ws is pulling down on the stone, and Ws is pulling up on the earth.
 
  • #5
The force of gravity from the Earth on the stone is equal to and opposite of the force of gravity from the stone on the Earth, in accordance with the third law.

The force exerted on the stone by the water is a different force with a different force pair. See the above responses.
 
  • #6
To clarify what the others have said, the force exerted by the water on the stone is a viscous drag force. This same drag force is also exerted by the stone on the water causing the water to be displaced as the stone accelerates due to the gravitational force.

Additionally, the gravitational force exerted by the Earth on the stone is equal to the gravitational force exerted by the stone on the earth. Therefore, Newton's 3rd law in all cases is not violated.
 
  • #7
You could have the same situation in air if that helps you intuitively. Air does exert a force just not very big.
 
  • #8
Ramanujan143 said:
Air does exert a force just not very big.
Actually in all cases the force varies with velocity and can grow exponentially large enough to balance the gravitational force when the terminal velocity is reached.

And of course there is also a buoyant force acting on the stone.
 

Related to Violation of Newton's third law

1. What is Newton's third law of motion?

Newton's third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that for every force applied by one object onto another, there will be an equal and opposite force applied back onto the first object.

2. What is a violation of Newton's third law?

A violation of Newton's third law occurs when there is an imbalance in the forces between two objects. This can happen when one object is significantly more massive than the other, or if the objects are not in direct contact with each other.

3. How does a violation of Newton's third law affect the motion of objects?

In a violation of Newton's third law, the forces between two objects are not equal and opposite. This can result in an acceleration or deceleration of the objects, causing a change in their motion. Ultimately, this can lead to unpredictable and chaotic movements.

4. Can Newton's third law be violated on a large scale, such as in space?

Yes, Newton's third law can be violated on a large scale. In space, objects can experience unequal forces due to factors such as gravity or electromagnetic fields. This can result in objects moving in ways that do not follow Newton's third law.

5. How do we observe violations of Newton's third law in everyday life?

Violations of Newton's third law can be observed in everyday life, such as when a person jumps off a boat and the boat moves in the opposite direction. Other examples include a rocket propulsion system, where the force of the exhaust gas propels the rocket in the opposite direction, and a person pushing a wall, where the wall exerts an equal and opposite force back onto the person.

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