Which of the following statements BEST expresses Newton’s third law for the…
PHYSICS · Single correct · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Which of the following statements BEST expresses Newton’s third law for the interaction between a swimmer’s hand and the surrounding water while the swimmer is pushing water backward?
(a) Because the water has much greater mass than the hand, the water exerts a larger-magnitude force on the swimmer’s hand than the hand exerts on the water.
(b) The backward force on the water and the forward force on the hand cancel each other since they act within the same system, so they cannot produce any acceleration.
(c) The swimmer’s hand pushes the water backward, and the water simultaneously pushes the hand forward with a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction.
(d) The swimmer moves forward only because the water resists motion; no force is exerted on the water itself when the hand sweeps backward.