Question

According to Newton's Third Law, if a sledgehammer hits a wall with a force of 1000 N, how much force does the wall hit the sledgehammer?

a
0 N
b
500 N
c
1000 N
d
- 1000 N

Answer 1

Which of the following would be a situation with unbalanced forces?

a
Two people pulling on the same side of a wheelbarrow
b
A team of players in tug of war pulling on the rope, each team with equal numbers of people pulling with equal strength
c
Two people of opposite sides of a big tire. One pushes the tire and one pulls it with equal force
d
Two people not touching a crate that is sitting stationary

Answer 2

According to Newton's Third Law, the force exerted by the wall on the sledgehammer is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force exerted by the sledgehammer on the wall.

Therefore, the force exerted by the wall on the sledgehammer will also be 1000 N, but in the opposite direction.

So the correct answer is d) -1000 N.