According to Newton's third law of motion, which statement is always correct?

Question

1. if a moving object hits another object, then the second object will will start moving
2. if two moving objects collide, then they will bounce off each other
3. if a moving object hits another object, then the second object will push back.
4. if two moving objects collide, then both will stop moving

Answer 1

According to Newton's third law of motion, the statement that is always correct is:

3. if a moving object hits another object, then the second object will push back.

Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction back on the first object.

The other statements can be false under certain conditions:

1. The second object may not start moving if it is fixed or there is enough friction.
2. The objects may not necessarily bounce off each other; they could stick together or deform.
3. They may not stop moving if their collisions are elastic or involve other forces.

Therefore, statement 3 accurately reflects the principle of action and reaction.