Impact tools physics

[mcm757207]

Often times (such as in the 2005 TOOOL bumping white paper) Newton's 3rd law of motion is credited for making bumping and other impact tools (pick guns) work:

To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions.

However, I'm not really a physics guy so I'm having some issues with this. I can see it being the case with a padlock rapping attack, for example, but not bumping. Wouldn't bumping (and pick guns) be taking advantage of the law of conservation of linear momentum? See this link.

What really makes this work?

[MBI]

What really makes this work?

Magnets.

[MBI]

Although seriously...

Newton's third law deals specifically with the reaction between two bodies. "The mutual forces of action and reaction between two bodies are equal, opposite and collinear."

Essentially it means that as the first item pushes into the second pin, the second item pushes back with equal force. This is what stops the first item in it's tracks (assuming it is of equal mass), and propels the second item away from the first, along the same direction of movement.

Apparently, anyways. I'm no physicist. Although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[mcm757207]

Makes sense, thanks MBI.

[maintenanceguy]

I am a physics guy and there are lots of correct paths you can take to solve physics problems.

I personally don't like "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." I prefer:"for every force, there is an equal and opposite force." I don't know how to measure a reaction. I can measure force.