Which statement best describes Newton's Third Law of Motion (action-reaction pairs)?

• A. For every force acting on an object, there is an equal and opposite force that acts on the same object and cancels it.
• B. An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by a net external force.
• C. If object A exerts a force on object B, then object B exerts an equal-magnitude force in the opposite direction on object A.
• D. The net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration: $F=ma$.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the core idea of Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that forces always come in pairs called action-reaction pairs.
2. Understand that if object A exerts a force on object B, then object B simultaneously exerts a force back on object A.
3. Recognize that these two forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, meaning they act on different objects, not the same one.
4. Note that this law explains interactions between two objects and does not imply forces cancel out on a single object.
5. Compare the given statements and select the one that correctly describes this mutual force interaction: 'If object A exerts a force on object B, then object B exerts an equal-magnitude force in the opposite direction on object A.'