The behavior of a ball bouncing back when it hits a wall, while a brick falls down or breaks, can be explained by Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
When a ball hits a wall, it exerts a force on the wall, and according to Newton's third law, the wall exerts an equal and opposite force back on the ball. This reaction force causes the ball to bounce back. The elastic nature of the ball allows it to deform upon impact and store some of the kinetic energy in its structure. As the wall pushes back, the stored energy is released, causing the ball to rebound.
On the other hand, when a brick hits a wall, it typically does not bounce back but instead falls down or breaks. This is because the brick is generally not designed to be elastic like a ball. Upon impact, the brick does exert a force on the wall, and the wall exerts an equal and opposite reaction force as per Newton's third law. However, the brick lacks the ability to deform and store the energy of impact like a ball. As a result, the forces applied to the brick during the collision cause it to either crumble, break apart, or fall due to the influence of gravity.
The different outcomes between the ball and the brick arise from their respective properties and the ability to store or dissipate energy upon impact. The ball's elasticity allows it to store and release energy, leading to a rebound, while the brick's lack of elasticity results in deformation or structural failure upon collision with the wall.
In summary, Newton's third law explains that the ball and the brick experience equal and opposite forces when hitting a wall. However, the ball's elasticity enables it to store and release energy, leading to a bouncing effect, while the brick lacks elasticity, causing it to fall down or break under the forces exerted during the collision.