Question

student a weighs 75 pounds, and student b weighs 50 pounds. student a gives student b a push while standing on a skateboard as shown in the diagram. after the push, student a moves backward while student b remains motionless. which statement is true? neither student exerted a force on the other. student b exerted a larger force compared to student a. student a exerted a larger force compared to student b. each student exerted an equal force on the other.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's third - law

According to Newton's third - law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When Student A gives Student B a push, the force exerted by Student A on Student B is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force exerted by Student B on Student A.

Step2: Analyze the situation

The fact that Student A moves backward and Student B remains motionless is due to the difference in their masses (Student A has a greater mass of 75 pounds compared to Student B's 50 pounds) and the frictional forces acting on them. But the forces they exert on each other are equal.

Answer:

Each student exerted an equal force on the other.