Question

Newton's third law of motion leads to the law of conservation of (A) Angular momentum (B) Energy (C) mass (D) momentum

Short answer

The correct answer is (D) momentum. The conservation of momentum is a direct consequence of Newton's third law of motion, as the equal and opposite forces between two interacting objects leads to equal and opposite changes in their momentum, thus conserving total momentum in a closed system.

Step-by-step solution

Option A: Angular momentum

Newton's third law of motion is primarily concerned with linear forces acting upon objects. While angular momentum can be conserved in certain scenarios, it is not a direct consequence of Newton's third law. This option is incorrect.

Option B: Energy

Conservation of energy refers to the principle that both kinetic and potential energy in a closed system remains constant. While energy conservation is an essential principle in physics, it is not a direct result of Newton's third law of motion. So this option is incorrect.

Option C: Mass

Conservation of mass refers to the principle that the total mass of substances in a closed system remains constant. While it is a fundamental concept in chemistry and thermodynamics, it is not a direct outcome of Newton's third law of motion. This option is incorrect.

Option D: Momentum

Momentum is the product of mass and velocity. According to Newton's third law, the forces between two objects are equal and opposite; therefore, when the objects interact with each other, their momentum change is also equal and opposite. This leads to the conservation of total momentum in a closed system of interacting objects. So the consequence of Newton's third law of motion is the conservation of momentum. Thus, the correct answer is (D) momentum.