Although action and reaction are equal and opposite why don’t they cancel each other out?
Answer: Action and reaction are unable to establish equilibrium despite the action and reaction are equal and opposite forces. When two equal and opposite forces are applied to the same object, (the point of application is the same) equilibrium can be established,
Therefore, the object remains stationary. But action and reaction forces always act on two different objects, never on the same object. So even though the action and reaction forces are equal and opposite, the two forces can never establish equilibrium.