A karate expert executes a swift blow and severs a cement block in two with her bare hand. The magnitude is the same for the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that the impulse (which is the product of force and the time over which the force is applied) is the same for both the karate expert's hand and the cement block. Therefore, the magnitude of the force, the time of impact, and consequently the impulse, are the same for both the block and the expert's hand.

A Karate Expert Executes a Swift Blow and Severs a Cement