When you place a book on a table, why is there no resulting motion of the book?

Question

A. The weight of the book is equivalent to the mass of the table.

B. The friction of the table prevents the book from falling through it.

C. The forces of the book pushing downward on the table and the table pushing upward on the book are equal.

D. There is enough air resistance between the book and the table to keep everything stable.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

C. The forces of the book pushing downward on the table and the table pushing upward on the book are equal.

This is an application of Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The weight of the book exerts a downward force on the table, and the table exerts an equal upward force on the book, resulting in no motion.