Question

1. a student rolls a cart on a track into a second cart. the first cart exerts an action force on the second cart. which of these determines the magnitude of the reaction force? check all that apply.

a. the mass of the second cart.
b. the distance between the carts.
c. the magnitude of the action force.
d. the direction in which the first cart is moving.

Explanation:

According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The magnitude of the reaction force is equal to the magnitude of the action force. The mass of the second cart (\(m_2\)), the distance between the carts (\(d\)), and the direction in which the first cart is moving (\(v_1\) direction) do not determine the magnitude of the reaction force. Only the magnitude of the action force (\(F_{action}\)) determines the magnitude of the reaction force (\(F_{reaction}\)) as \(F_{reaction}=F_{action}\) based on Newton's third law.

Answer:

C. The magnitude of the action force.