• Question: If Newtons third law is correct, then hypothetically what would happen if someone somehow created an unstoppable force and this unstoppable force collided with its eaqal and opposite reaction?

    Asked by connorhoad to Andrew, Ash, Gem, Paige, SJ on 29 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: SarahJayne Boulton

      SarahJayne Boulton answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      HAHA!! What an excellent question!!

      Are we assuming that the thing it’s trying to act on is an immovable object?

      There’s a thing called the Irresistable Force Paradox, which considers what happens when an unstoppable force tries to act on with an immovable object. It’s a bit part of certain arms of philosophy.

      One thing you could say, if you assume that the force and the object aren’t invincible, is that they would cancel out.

      I prefer to think of it as a monumentous event, an assume that such forces were possible, and that when they meet, they’ll destroy each other, with an immeasurable amount of energy released.

      The Joker made reference to this paradox and philosophy in The Dark Knight, in reference to Batman and himself being destined to fight it out forever.

    • Photo: Paige Brown

      Paige Brown answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      If you produced an unstoppable force in one direction, then you would have to have an equal and opposite unstoppable force in the opposite direction!!!!

      Maybe an unstoppable force and an immovable object would just keep fighting against one another without moving forever!

    • Photo: Ashley Cadby

      Ashley Cadby answered on 30 Jun 2012:

      I’m not really sure what you mean by unstoppable force, do you mean a force with infinite magnitude? If so, then this force would require an infinite amount of energy, this is obviously not allowed. So in this thought experiment it might be only possible to create an unstoppable force if you create two opposite ones at the same time.

Comments

  • Photo: SJ

    SJ commented on :

    This is the thing – if they fough forever and never moved, that means the force has been stopped! but it’s not unstoppable!! OUCH MY BRAIN! 😀

  • Photo: connorhoad

    connorhoad commented on :

    Ash, I mean in a hypothetical ‘perfect world’ where infinate energy is possible to attain. And if the reaction force would also need to be unstopable then as they are both unstoppable they would be balanced forces so both the unstoppable forces would not infact be unstoppable. Does that mean that for an unstoppable force to exist there must be no reaction force?