5 min read

For active and reactive forces to work, there must at least be two objects. You can’t tell active and reactive forces apart. The only difference would be that the forces act in opposite directions.
Interestingly, both forces will occur simultaneously without any time lag. Kicking a table will cause the table to act as an active force, while your leg will act as a reactive force. This is what Newton’s law implies.
As we just discussed how they are different, let’s look at some similarities between them.
Despite being working simultaneously, both forces do not cancel each other.
Throughout this article, I’m going to explain these terminologies. I’ll also discuss different types of forces.
So if you are feeling intrigued, then let’s dive into it…
Let us clarify what force means in the first place:
Force | Pushing or pulling an object indicates that a force is applied to an object and is causing a movement. However, this definition of force doesn’t explain the whole concept. Even if an object is stationary, it is still known as being acted upon by forces. |
Does force always make an object move? | Pushing or pulling an object indicates that a force is applied to an object and is causing a movement. Though, this definition of force doesn’t explain the whole concept. Even if an object is stationary, it is still known as being acted upon by forces. |
If you want to dive deeper into the meaning of force, you should watch this video:
Both active and reactive forces have no difference in size and magnitude. They just act in opposite directions, one in reaction to the other.
If you hit your toe against the wall, the wall will exert the same force on your toe, causing it to hurt.
Walking is another example of these forces. Your feet pushing the ground backward will be an active force, while your body moving forward will be an example of a reactive force. You can understand from here how both these forces act in opposite directions.
This force helps objects stop moving. If there was no friction, the objects would be unstoppable. Vehicle brakes are the greatest example of friction.
What you can mean by this force is the involvement of pushing or pulling. For instance, you apply force on a box to move it forward.
Earth has this force that pulls the objects towards the ground. As a result, objects and people cannot float and stay on the ground. This force also exists in objects. The more massive the object, the more gravitational force it has.
It’s important to note that not all planets have the same level of gravity.
Yes, both forces are undoubtedly, equal and occur in opposite directions. This is what you have learned in Newton’s law. Even so, many people equate active and reactive with cause and effect, which is misleading. Association between two objects gives rise to opposite forces.
You should see energy and force as to cause and effect. When you want an action to occur, it results from energy. The effect that is caused by energy is known as force. However, they’re two individual quantities.
The more energy you’ve, the more work you’ll be able to perform.
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