A book rests on a table, exerting a downward force on the table.The reaction to this force is:
A)the force of the Earth on the book
B)the force of the table on the book
C)the force of the Earth on the table
D)the force of the book on the Earth
E)the inertia of the book

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, the force exerted by the book on the table is the action, and the reaction to this force is the force exerted by the table on the book (choice B). The other options are not relevant in this context.

A Book Rests on a Table, Exerting a Downward Force