A paper placed in between two books can be quickly pulled out without moving the books. Which statement explains this phenomenon?
A.
There are no forces acting between the books and the paper.
B.
The pull of gravity on the book is greater than the force of gravity on the paper.
C.
The two books exert force only on each other and not on the paper.
D.
The books have a great deal of inertia and do not move easily.
D
Actually, the situation is a bit more complicated than that. On a frictionless surface, the books would in fact move slightly, as the paper would pull slightly on the books. The real reason the books do not move at all is because of the static friction between the books and the shelf.
The correct statement that explains the phenomenon is C. "The two books exert force only on each other and not on the paper."
To understand why this statement explains the phenomenon, we can consider the concept of Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
When the paper is placed between the two books, there is no force acting on the paper from the books. This is because the force exerted by one book on the paper is canceled out by an equal and opposite force exerted by the other book. Essentially, any force exerted by the books on the paper is balanced, resulting in no net force on the paper.
As a result, the paper can be quickly pulled out without moving the books because there is no significant force holding the paper in place. The absence of a force acting on the paper allows it to be easily removed without requiring any movement or displacement of the books.
Therefore, option C accurately explains the phenomenon by stating that the two books exert force only on each other and not on the paper.