Question

What is the action/reaction force pair when you catch a ball?

Answer 1

When we catch a ball with our hands. We can see, only two surfaces are coming in contact with each other. The surface of our hand with the surface of the ball. Thus, we shall see all the forces acting at this surface only. We shall proceed in our solution in this manner only to get the answer to our problem.

Complete step-by-step answer:
When we catch a ball, the ball has some speed with itself as it is moving in air. This ball imparts this force onto our hands or gloves as an impulse. This is the first of the two forces in the action/reaction pair, that is, the “action” force.
Now, our hand makes the ball come to a stop by applying the same impulsive force in the opposite direction of the action force by the ball. This in turn makes the ball come to a halt. This is the “reaction” force by our hands on the ball.
Hence, the action/reaction force pair when someone catches a ball is the force on hand due to the ball and the force on the ball by the hands of the catcher.

Additional Information: Whenever we have been given to find the action/reaction pair of any incident and we have to find the forces, then, there will be only two surfaces interacting with each other, that is, it will only be a “pair” of surfaces. There is no “third” surface in an action/reaction pair as force is applied on the second body by the first body and then, the first body experiences a force due to the second body.

Note: One should not confuse action reaction forces by analyzing surfaces only. It is a general way to understand the force. The force by which Earth attracts us is the same force by which we pull the “Earth” towards ourselves. This is not visible to us because the mass of Earth is humongous as compared to the mass of a normal living being.