Question

question 10 of 20 which statement describes an action - reaction pair? a. you push a book off the edge of a shelf, and the book falls to the floor. b. you throw a ball straight up, and earths gravity pulls it downward. c. you push against a wall, and the wall applies a force to your hands. d. the sun pulls on the earth, and the earth pulls on the moon.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's third - law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Step2: Analyze option A

Pushing a book off a shelf is just an action causing the book to fall due to gravity, not a direct action - reaction pair in the sense of Newton's third law.

Step3: Analyze option B

Throwing a ball up and gravity pulling it down are not an action - reaction pair. Gravity is a non - contact force acting on the ball.

Step4: Analyze option C

When you push against a wall (action force), the wall pushes back on your hands (reaction force) which is an action - reaction pair according to Newton's third law.

Step5: Analyze option D

The Sun pulling on the Earth and the Earth pulling on the Moon are not an action - reaction pair. They are different gravitational interactions.

Answer:

C. You push against a wall, and the wall applies a force to your hands.