Question
According to Newton's third law each team pulls the opposite team with equal force in a tug of war. Why then one team wins and the other loses?
✓
Answer
The forces on the rope must be equal and opposite, according to Newton’s third law. But not all the forces acting on each team are equal. The friction between one team and the ground does not depend on the other team and can be larger on one side than on the other. In addition, the grips on the rope need not be equal and opposite. Thus, the net force acting on each team from all sources need not be equal.
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