newton's third law experiments

9 Engaging Newton's Laws of Motion Project Ideas

As a dedicated physics educator, you have the exciting task of introducing students to the laws of motion established by Sir Isaac Newton. Whether you're a seasoned teacher looking to refresh your curriculum or a newcomer eager for innovative teaching strategies, exploring Newton's Laws of Motion through a mix of hands-on and virtual labs offers a dynamic approach to learning.

We've identified six in-person labs and three virtual labs you can do with your students.

Newton's First Law Project Ideas

Sir Isaac Newton came up with some observations about motion. His First Law of Motion is: “An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.”

Hands-on lab: Moving Cart

Simulate a car accident's impact using a moving cart to demonstrate the effects of inertia without a seatbelt. Set up a simple cart with two wheel axes and a mass, and crash it into a cardboard box. Tape the cardboard box to the floor and mark a starting point about 5 feet away. Vary the speed of the collision and observe how the mass moves forward on the cart at different distances and speeds. The mass remains in motion due to inertia, even though it abruptly stops upon hitting the cardboard. Record and discuss the observations, and optionally, tape the mass to the cart to simulate a seatbelt.

Virtual lab: Newton's First Law of Motion: Balanced and unbalanced forces

In Labster's Newton’s First Law of Motion simulation , students visually observe how different forces act on an object and how motion takes place when forces are unbalanced.  Students will travel back in time to where Newton is surprised to see them in his room. He is quite upset since while he was working under a tree, an apple fell on his head and made him forget his First Law of Motion. Luckily they'll be able to join him in 1687 and help him rediscover everything about his law.

Hands-on lab: Penny on a Card Experiment

The Penny on a Card science project explores Newton's First Law of Motion, or the law of inertia. By flicking or pulling an overhanging card, the card slides off the table while the penny stays in place. This hands-on experiment helps students understand the concept of inertia and encourages critical thinking and observation skills. 

Newton's Second Law Project Ideas

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. In mathematical terms, this can be expressed as F = ma, where F represents the net force, m denotes the mass of the object, and a represents the acceleration. 

Hands-on lab: Egg Crush Experiment

This engaging project allows students to explore Newton's Second Law of Motion. Using only flat wooden toothpicks and wood glue, students are challenged to build a device capable of protecting an egg from being crushed by the force of a falling 5-gallon bucket. This hands-on activity also enhances their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By considering concepts such as inertia, force, and reaction, students can design and construct an effective contraption and gain a practical understanding of the fundamental principles of motion.

Virtual lab: Newton's Second Law of Motion: Speed and Acceleration

In Labster's virtual lab , students travel through time and space to help Newton rediscover his Second Law of Motion. Students can use this physically realistic simulation to experiment with forces and masses and observe their effects on acceleration and velocity. Students will apply forces on a body with adjustable mass to control its acceleration and produce different kinds of motion. Includes experimentation tasks and directed challenges that require the student to take the effects of added forces into account or produce a specific motion. 

Hands-on lab: Toy Car Speed Project

For a Newton's Second Law of Motion project, you can conduct a toy car speed experiment. Create a ramp using books and meter sticks, and place different masses on the toy cars. Roll the cars down the ramp and record the time it takes for each one to reach the bottom. Manipulate the ramp height while keeping the mass constant to observe the impact on speed. Use the collected data to create a graph and write a paper explaining how the experiment aligns with Newton's Second Law. Explore how acceleration depends on net force, mass, and gravity's applied force. This project allows for a practical demonstration of Newton's Second Law and helps in understanding the relationship between height and speed.

Newton's Third Law Project Ideas

Newton's Third Law simply states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Hands-on lab: Newton's Cradle

The Newton's Cradle lab is a hands-on experiment that allows high school students to explore Newton's Third Law of Motion. Using a Newton's Cradle apparatus, students observe the conservation of momentum and energy in collisions. They pull back one ball, release it, and observe the transfer of energy to the other balls. By varying parameters like the number of balls or angle of release, students deepen their understanding of these principles. 

Virtual lab: Newton's Laws of Motion: Understand active and passive safety in motorsports

In this simulation , Labster uses Newton’s laws of motion to break down the passive and active safety features of a race car to enable our drivers to move faster in the safest way possible. In most interactions, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. This is what Newton’s Third Law of Motion describes. Check out examples of this law in motorsports and identify the action and reaction forces while driving.

Hands-on lab: Balloon Rocket Experiment

Stretch a piece of string across the classroom and thread a straw onto it. Inflate a balloon without tying it off, tape it to the straw, and then release it. The air rushing out of the balloon propels it in the opposite direction, demonstrating Newton's Third Law.

Newton's Laws of Motion provide a fascinating framework for understanding the fundamental principles that govern how objects move in the physical world. By engaging in hands-on projects and virtual experiments related to these laws, students can deepen their understanding of concepts such as force, acceleration, and inertia. 

Applying Newton's Laws of Motion to real-life situations empowers students to develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper appreciation for the laws that shape our world. Incorporating these project ideas can enhance the students learning journey and inspire a lifelong passion for science and discovery.

Labster helps universities and high schools enhance student success in STEM.

Explore More

Introducing Labster’s Back-to-School Physics Collection, Here to Make Teaching Easier

Introducing Labster’s Back-to-School Biology Collection, Here to Make Teaching Easier

Introducing Labster’s Back-to-School Chemistry Collection, Here to Make Teaching Easier

Exploring the Science of Motion: 5 Simple and Fun Experiments for Kids

Activities » Science » Exploring the Science of Motion: 5 Simple and Fun Experiments for Kids

SHARE THIS POST:

Motion is all around us, from the gentle swaying of a tree branch to the roaring power of a race car. It’s a fascinating subject that has captured the imagination of scientists and curious minds alike.

Whether you’re a parent looking for fun and educational activities to do with your kids or an adult who wants to explore the science of motion in a hands-on way, these five simple experiments are sure to delight and inspire.

From creating your own mini rollercoaster to investigating the physics of pendulums, each experiment is designed to be both fun and informative. So grab some materials, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to discover the science of motion in a whole new way!

Newton’s Laws fascinate kids! You’re in for a treat! Science seems almost too good to be true. Even for us adults. Science across the board is not only amazing but can be performed or observed easily and inexpensively.

Remember when we learned about electricity ? How about our friction experiment ? Engaging kids in science seems straightforward, but what if you don’t ignite the sense of awe and wonder of the world?

5 Simple and Fun Experiments for Newton’s Laws of Motion

Experiment 1: balloon rocket.

For this experiment, you will need a long piece of string, a drinking straw, a balloon, and some tape. Cut a piece of string about 5 feet long and tie one end to a chair or doorknob.

Thread the straw onto the other end of the string and tape it in place. Blow up the balloon and pinch the end to keep the air inside. Tape the balloon to the straw and let it go.

The air rushing out of the balloon will propel the straw and create a “rocket” effect.

This experiment demonstrates Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the air rushes out of the balloon, it creates a force that propels the straw in the opposite direction.

You can make the experiment more challenging by adding obstacles for the balloon rocket to navigate around or by using different sizes and shapes of balloons.

Experiment 2: Egg Drop Challenge

For this experiment, you will need an egg, some materials for padding, and a place to drop the egg from. The challenge is to create a protective casing for the egg that will prevent it from breaking when it hits the ground.

You can use materials like cotton balls, bubble wrap, or foam to cushion the egg. Once you’ve created your casing, drop it from different heights and see if the egg survives.

This experiment demonstrates the concept of inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. When the egg is dropped, it has a certain amount of kinetic energy that is converted into potential energy as it reaches its highest point.

As the egg falls, the potential energy is converted back into kinetic energy, which causes it to accelerate. The padding around the egg helps to absorb some of the force of the impact and protect it from breaking.

I love this example of the project from Kiwi Co !

Experiment 3: Paper Airplane Race

For this experiment, you will need some paper and some creativity. Fold a piece of paper into an airplane and see how far it can fly. Experiment with different designs and techniques to see which one flies the farthest. You can also have a race with friends to see whose airplane can fly the fastest.

This experiment demonstrates the principles of aerodynamics, which is the study of how objects move through the air. The shape and design of the paper airplane can affect how it flies, with factors like lift, drag, and thrust all playing a role in its performance. By experimenting with different designs, you can learn more about the science of flight.

Experiment 4: DIY Wind Turbine

For this experiment, you will need some basic materials like a plastic bottle, a small motor, and some blades. Cut the top off the bottle and attach the blades to the motor. Place the motor inside the bottle and secure it in place. When the blades are turned by the wind, they will generate electricity that can power small devices like a lightbulb or a fan.

This experiment demonstrates the concept of energy conversion, which is the process of changing one form of energy into another. The kinetic energy of the wind is converted into electrical energy through the rotation of the blades. By experimenting with different blade designs and wind speeds, you can learn more about the science of renewable energy.

Experiment 5: Pendulum Painting

For this experiment, you will need a pendulum (which can be made by tying a weight to a string), some paper, and some paint. Hang the pendulum from a fixed point and place a piece of paper underneath it. Dip the weight into the paint and let it swing back and forth, creating a unique pattern on the paper.

This experiment demonstrates the principles of motion and gravity, with the pendulum swinging back and forth in a predictable pattern. The paint adds an artistic element to the experiment, creating a visual representation of the motion of the pendulum. You can experiment with different colors and weights to create different patterns and designs.

Generation Genius has a wonderful tutorial on pendulum painting with kids .

Newton’s Laws for Kids Must Try Activity

In the meantime, onto our Newton’s Laws of Motion (the 3rd law to be specific) experiment! Every month we receive Steve Spangler’s Science Club Kit . Steve’s Kit is superior and full of amazing experiments, science learning for kids, and a Top Secret guide for parents and teachers. The experiments build (scaffolding) upon each other so kids really get the science. Extremely well done.

The Helicopter Balloon is one super fun way to introduce kids to more complex scientific ideas.

The kit we received includes three blades, a blade connector, a hub, and two balloons. A bit tricky for a younger child to put together but my 6.5-year-old was able to make it happen. The key is after the balloon is blown up, to pinch the balloon as you attach it to the hub, and wait for the amazing science.

Explanation of the Science Behind Each Experiment

Each of these experiments demonstrates different principles of motion and physics.

The balloon rocket experiment shows Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The gas coming from the balloon forces the blades to rotate, the blades drive the air down to cause the helicopter to lift. Kids love this activity.

The egg drop challenge demonstrates the concept of inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion.

The paper airplane race demonstrates the principles of aerodynamics, which is the study of how objects move through the air.

The DIY wind turbine experiment demonstrates the concept of energy conversion, which is the process of changing one form of energy into another.

The pendulum painting experiment demonstrates the principles of motion and gravity.

You can buy the Toysmith Balloon Helicopter kit on your own from Amazon or you can subscribe to Steve Spangler’s Science Club , which I highly recommend.

What if your child has no desire to learn more? I thought about that a while back. If this obstacle sounds familiar check out a post I wrote on Ways to Help a Child with Science Thinking . Let me know what you think.

Related Reads

• Easy Motion Science Experiment that Will Wow Your Kids
• 10 Creative & Unique Easter Basket Ideas for Boys
• Brighten Up Your Kid’s Day with these Fun and Educational Light Activities
• Super Easy, Fun, & Unforgettable Water Balloon Activities for Kids
• Why Should Parents Care about Emotional Intelligence?
• Easy Physics Experiment for Kids

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

4.4 Newton's Third Law of Motion

Section learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

• Describe Newton’s third law, both verbally and mathematically
• Use Newton’s third law to solve problems

Teacher Support

The learning objectives in this section will help your students master the following standards:

• (D) calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the law of inertia, the relationship between force and acceleration, and the nature of force pairs between objects.

Section Key Terms

Describing Newton’s Third Law of Motion

[BL] [OL] Review Newton’s first and second laws.

[AL] Start a discussion about action and reaction by giving examples. Introduce the concepts of systems and systems of interest. Explain how forces can be classified as internal or external to the system of interest. Give examples of systems. Ask students which forces are internal and which are external in each scenario.

If you have ever stubbed your toe, you have noticed that although your toe initiates the impact, the surface that you stub it on exerts a force back on your toe. Although the first thought that crosses your mind is probably “ouch, that hurt” rather than “this is a great example of Newton’s third law,” both statements are true.

This is exactly what happens whenever one object exerts a force on another—each object experiences a force that is the same strength as the force acting on the other object but that acts in the opposite direction. Everyday experiences, such as stubbing a toe or throwing a ball, are all perfect examples of Newton’s third law in action.

Newton’s third law of motion states that whenever a first object exerts a force on a second object, the first object experiences a force equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force that it exerts.

Newton’s third law of motion tells us that forces always occur in pairs, and one object cannot exert a force on another without experiencing the same strength force in return. We sometimes refer to these force pairs as action-reaction pairs, where the force exerted is the action, and the force experienced in return is the reaction (although which is which depends on your point of view).

Newton’s third law is useful for figuring out which forces are external to a system. Recall that identifying external forces is important when setting up a problem, because the external forces must be added together to find the net force .

We can see Newton’s third law at work by looking at how people move about. Consider a swimmer pushing off from the side of a pool, as illustrated in Figure 4.8 . She pushes against the pool wall with her feet and accelerates in the direction opposite to her push. The wall has thus exerted on the swimmer a force of equal magnitude but in the direction opposite that of her push. You might think that two forces of equal magnitude but that act in opposite directions would cancel, but they do not because they act on different systems.

In this case, there are two different systems that we could choose to investigate: the swimmer or the wall. If we choose the swimmer to be the system of interest, as in the figure, then F wall on feet F wall on feet is an external force on the swimmer and affects her motion. Because acceleration is in the same direction as the net external force , the swimmer moves in the direction of F wall on feet . F wall on feet . Because the swimmer is our system (or object of interest) and not the wall, we do not need to consider the force F feet on wall F feet on wall because it originates from the swimmer rather than acting on the swimmer. Therefore, F feet on wall F feet on wall does not directly affect the motion of the system and does not cancel F wall on feet . F wall on feet . Note that the swimmer pushes in the direction opposite to the direction in which she wants to move.

Other examples of Newton’s third law are easy to find. As a teacher paces in front of a whiteboard, he exerts a force backward on the floor. The floor exerts a reaction force in the forward direction on the teacher that causes him to accelerate forward. Similarly, a car accelerates because the ground pushes forward on the car's wheels in reaction to the car's wheels pushing backward on the ground. You can see evidence of the wheels pushing backward when tires spin on a gravel road and throw rocks backward.

Another example is the force of a baseball as it makes contact with the bat. Helicopters create lift by pushing air down, creating an upward reaction force. Birds fly by exerting force on air in the direction opposite that in which they wish to fly. For example, the wings of a bird force air downward and backward in order to get lift and move forward. An octopus propels itself forward in the water by ejecting water backward through a funnel in its body, which is similar to how a jet ski is propelled. In these examples, the octopus or jet ski push the water backward, and the water, in turn, pushes the octopus or jet ski forward.

Applying Newton’s Third Law

[BL] Review the concept of weight as a force.

[OL] Ask students what happens when an object is dropped from a height. Why does it stop when it hits the ground? Introduce the term normal force.

Teacher Demonstration

[BL] [OL] [AL] Demonstrate the concept of tension by using physical objects. Suspend an object such as an eraser from a peg by using a rubber band. Hang another rubber band beside the first but with no object attached. Ask students what the difference is between the two. What are the forces acting on the first peg? Explain how the rubber band (i.e., the connector) transmits force. Now ask students what the direction of the external forces acting on the connectoris. Also, ask what internal forces are acting on the connector. If you remove the eraser, in which direction will the rubber band move? This is the direction of the force the rubber band applied to the eraser.

Forces are classified and given names based on their source, how they are transmitted, or their effects. In previous sections, we discussed the forces called push , weight , and friction . In this section, applying Newton’s third law of motion will allow us to explore three more forces: the normal force , tension , and thrust . However, because we haven’t yet covered vectors in depth, we’ll only consider one-dimensional situations in this chapter. Another chapter will consider forces acting in two dimensions.

The gravitational force (or weight ) acts on objects at all times and everywhere on Earth. We know from Newton’s second law that a net force produces an acceleration; so, why is everything not in a constant state of freefall toward the center of Earth? The answer is the normal force. The normal force is the outward force that a surface applies to an object perpendicular to the surface, and it prevents the object from penetrating it. In the case of an object at rest on a horizontal surface, it is the force needed to support the weight of that object. If an object on a flat surface is not accelerating, the net external force is zero, and the normal force has the same magnitude as the weight of the system but acts in the opposite direction. In equation form, we write that

Note that this equation is only true for a horizontal surface.

The word tension comes from the Latin word meaning to stretch . Tension is the force along the length of a flexible connector, such as a string, rope, chain, or cable. Regardless of the type of connector attached to the object of interest, one must remember that the connector can only pull (or exert tension ) in the direction parallel to its length. Tension is a pull that acts parallel to the connector, and that acts in opposite directions at the two ends of the connector. This is possible because a flexible connector is simply a long series of action-reaction forces, except at the two ends where outside objects provide one member of the action-reaction forces.

Consider a person holding a mass on a rope, as shown in Figure 4.9 .

Tension in the rope must equal the weight of the supported mass, as we can prove by using Newton’s second law. If the 5.00 kg mass in the figure is stationary, then its acceleration is zero, so F net = 0. F net = 0. The only external forces acting on the mass are its weight W and the tension T supplied by the rope. Summing the external forces to find the net force, we obtain

where T and W are the magnitudes of the tension and weight, respectively, and their signs indicate direction, with up being positive. By substituting m g for F net and rearranging the equation, the tension equals the weight of the supported mass, just as you would expect

For a 5.00-kg mass (neglecting the mass of the rope), we see that

Another example of Newton’s third law in action is thrust. Rockets move forward by expelling gas backward at a high velocity. This means that the rocket exerts a large force backward on the gas in the rocket combustion chamber, and the gas, in turn, exerts a large force forward on the rocket in response. This reaction force is called thrust .

Tips For Success

A common misconception is that rockets propel themselves by pushing on the ground or on the air behind them. They actually work better in a vacuum, where they can expel exhaust gases more easily.

Links To Physics

Math: problem-solving strategy for newton’s laws of motion.

The basics of problem solving, presented earlier in this text, are followed here with specific strategies for applying Newton’s laws of motion. These techniques also reinforce concepts that are useful in many other areas of physics.

First, identify the physical principles involved. If the problem involves forces, then Newton’s laws of motion are involved, and it is important to draw a careful sketch of the situation. An example of a sketch is shown in Figure 4.10 . Next, as in Figure 4.10 , use vectors to represent all forces. Label the forces carefully, and make sure that their lengths are proportional to the magnitude of the forces and that the arrows point in the direction in which the forces act.

Next, make a list of knowns and unknowns and assign variable names to the quantities given in the problem. Figure out which variables need to be calculated; these are the unknowns. Now carefully define the system: which objects are of interest for the problem. This decision is important, because Newton’s second law involves only external forces. Once the system is identified, it’s possible to see which forces are external and which are internal (see Figure 4.10 ).

If the system acts on an object outside the system, then you know that the outside object exerts a force of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction on the system.

A diagram showing the system of interest and all the external forces acting on it is called a free-body diagram. Only external forces are shown on free-body diagrams, not acceleration or velocity. Figure 4.10 shows a free-body diagram for the system of interest.

After drawing a free-body diagram, apply Newton’s second law to solve the problem. This is done in Figure 4.10 for the case of Tarzan hanging from a vine. When external forces are clearly identified in the free-body diagram, translate the forces into equation form and solve for the unknowns. Note that forces acting in opposite directions have opposite signs. By convention, forces acting downward or to the left are usually negative.

Grasp Check

If a problem has more than one system of interest, more than one free-body diagram is required to describe the external forces acting on the different systems.

Watch Physics

Newton’s third law of motion.

This video explains Newton’s third law of motion through examples involving push, normal force, and thrust (the force that propels a rocket or a jet).

If the astronaut in the video wanted to move upward, in which direction should he throw the object? Why?

• He should throw the object upward because according to Newton’s third law, the object will then exert a force on him in the same direction (i.e., upward).
• He should throw the object upward because according to Newton’s third law, the object will then exert a force on him in the opposite direction (i.e., downward).
• He should throw the object downward because according to Newton’s third law, the object will then exert a force on him in the opposite direction (i.e., upward).
• He should throw the object downward because according to Newton’s third law, the object will then exert a force on him in the same direction (i.e., downward).

Worked Example

An accelerating equipment cart.

A physics teacher pushes a cart of demonstration equipment to a classroom, as in Figure 4.11 . Her mass is 65.0 kg, the cart’s mass is 12.0 kg, and the equipment’s mass is 7.0 kg. To push the cart forward, the teacher’s foot applies a force of 150 N in the opposite direction (backward) on the floor. Calculate the acceleration produced by the teacher. The force of friction, which opposes the motion, is 24.0 N.

Because they accelerate together, we define the system to be the teacher, the cart, and the equipment. The teacher pushes backward with a force F foot F foot of 150 N. According to Newton’s third law, the floor exerts a forward force F floor F floor of 150 N on the system. Because all motion is horizontal, we can assume that no net force acts in the vertical direction, and the problem becomes one dimensional. As noted in the figure, the friction f opposes the motion and therefore acts opposite the direction of F floor . F floor .

We should not include the forces F teacher F teacher , F cart F cart , or F foot F foot because these are exerted by the system, not on the system. We find the net external force by adding together the external forces acting on the system (see the free-body diagram in the figure) and then use Newton’s second law to find the acceleration.

Newton’s second law is

The net external force on the system is the sum of the external forces: the force of the floor acting on the teacher, cart, and equipment (in the horizontal direction) and the force of friction. Because friction acts in the opposite direction, we assign it a negative value. Thus, for the net force, we obtain

The mass of the system is the sum of the mass of the teacher, cart, and equipment.

Insert these values of net F and m into Newton’s second law to obtain the acceleration of the system.

None of the forces between components of the system, such as between the teacher’s hands and the cart, contribute to the net external force because they are internal to the system. Another way to look at this is to note that the forces between components of a system cancel because they are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. For example, the force exerted by the teacher on the cart is of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction of the force exerted by the cart on the teacher. In this case, both forces act on the same system, so they cancel. Defining the system was crucial to solving this problem.

Practice Problems

What is the equation for the normal force for a body with mass m that is at rest on a horizontal surface?

An object with mass m is at rest on the floor. What is the magnitude and direction of the normal force acting on it?

• N = mv in upward direction
• N = mg in upward direction
• N = mv in downward direction
• N = mg in downward direction

Check Your Understanding

Use the questions in Check Your Understanding to assess whether students have mastered the learning objectives of this section. If students are struggling with a specific objective, the Check Your Understanding assessment will help identify which objective is causing the problem and direct students to the relevant content.

What is Newton’s third law of motion?

• Whenever a first body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force that is twice the magnitude and acts in the direction of the applied force.
• Whenever a first body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force that is equal in magnitude and acts in the direction of the applied force.
• Whenever a first body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force that is twice the magnitude but acts in the direction opposite the direction of the applied force.
• Whenever a first body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force that is equal in magnitude but acts in the direction opposite the direction of the applied force.

Considering Newton’s third law, why don’t two equal and opposite forces cancel out each other?

• Because the two forces act in the same direction
• Because the two forces have different magnitudes
• Because the two forces act on different systems
• Because the two forces act in perpendicular directions

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute Texas Education Agency (TEA). The original material is available at: https://www.texasgateway.org/book/tea-physics . Changes were made to the original material, including updates to art, structure, and other content updates.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Physics
• Publication date: Mar 26, 2020
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/4-4-newtons-third-law-of-motion

© Jun 7, 2024 Texas Education Agency (TEA). The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

• TPC and eLearning
• What's NEW at TPC?
• Read Watch Interact
• Practice Review Test
• Teacher-Tools
• Request a Demo
• Get A Quote
• Subscription Selection
• Seat Calculator
• Ad Free Account
• Edit Profile Settings
• Metric Conversions Questions
• Metric System Questions
• Metric Estimation Questions
• Significant Digits Questions
• Proportional Reasoning
• Acceleration
• Distance-Displacement
• Dots and Graphs
• Graph That Motion
• Match That Graph
• Name That Motion
• Motion Diagrams
• Pos'n Time Graphs Numerical
• Pos'n Time Graphs Conceptual
• Up And Down - Questions
• Balanced vs. Unbalanced Forces
• Change of State
• Force and Motion
• Mass and Weight
• Match That Free-Body Diagram
• Net Force (and Acceleration) Ranking Tasks
• Newton's Second Law
• Normal Force Card Sort
• Recognizing Forces
• Air Resistance and Skydiving
• Solve It! with Newton's Second Law
• Which One Doesn't Belong?
• Component Addition Questions
• Head-to-Tail Vector Addition
• Projectile Mathematics
• Trajectory - Angle Launched Projectiles
• Trajectory - Horizontally Launched Projectiles
• Vector Addition
• Vector Direction
• Which One Doesn't Belong? Projectile Motion
• Forces in 2-Dimensions
• Being Impulsive About Momentum
• Explosions - Law Breakers
• Hit and Stick Collisions - Law Breakers
• Case Studies: Impulse and Force
• Impulse-Momentum Change Table
• Keeping Track of Momentum - Hit and Stick
• Keeping Track of Momentum - Hit and Bounce
• What's Up (and Down) with KE and PE?
• Energy Conservation Questions
• Energy Dissipation Questions
• Energy Ranking Tasks
• LOL Charts (a.k.a., Energy Bar Charts)
• Match That Bar Chart
• Words and Charts Questions
• Name That Energy
• Stepping Up with PE and KE Questions
• Case Studies - Circular Motion
• Circular Logic
• Forces and Free-Body Diagrams in Circular Motion
• Gravitational Field Strength
• Universal Gravitation
• Angular Position and Displacement
• Linear and Angular Velocity
• Angular Acceleration
• Rotational Inertia
• Balanced vs. Unbalanced Torques
• Getting a Handle on Torque
• Torque-ing About Rotation
• Properties of Matter
• Fluid Pressure
• Buoyant Force
• Sinking, Floating, and Hanging
• Pascal's Principle
• Flow Velocity
• Bernoulli's Principle
• Balloon Interactions
• Charge and Charging
• Charge Interactions
• Charging by Induction
• Conductors and Insulators
• Coulombs Law
• Electric Field
• Electric Field Intensity
• Polarization
• Case Studies: Electric Power
• Know Your Potential
• Light Bulb Anatomy
• I = ∆V/R Equations as a Guide to Thinking
• Parallel Circuits - ∆V = I•R Calculations
• Resistance Ranking Tasks
• Series Circuits - ∆V = I•R Calculations
• Series vs. Parallel Circuits
• Equivalent Resistance
• Period and Frequency of a Pendulum
• Pendulum Motion: Velocity and Force
• Energy of a Pendulum
• Period and Frequency of a Mass on a Spring
• Horizontal Springs: Velocity and Force
• Vertical Springs: Velocity and Force
• Energy of a Mass on a Spring
• Decibel Scale
• Frequency and Period
• Closed-End Air Columns
• Name That Harmonic: Strings
• Rocking the Boat
• Wave Basics
• Matching Pairs: Wave Characteristics
• Wave Interference
• Waves - Case Studies
• Color Addition and Subtraction
• Color Filters
• If This, Then That: Color Subtraction
• Light Intensity
• Color Pigments
• Converging Lenses
• Curved Mirror Images
• Law of Reflection
• Refraction and Lenses
• Total Internal Reflection
• Who Can See Who?
• Lab Equipment
• Lab Procedures
• Formulas and Atom Counting
• Atomic Models
• Bond Polarity
• Entropy Questions
• Cell Voltage Questions
• Heat of Formation Questions
• Reduction Potential Questions
• Oxidation States Questions
• Measuring the Quantity of Heat
• Hess's Law
• Oxidation-Reduction Questions
• Galvanic Cells Questions
• Thermal Stoichiometry
• Molecular Polarity
• Quantum Mechanics
• Balancing Chemical Equations
• Bronsted-Lowry Model of Acids and Bases
• Classification of Matter
• Collision Model of Reaction Rates
• Density Ranking Tasks
• Dissociation Reactions
• Complete Electron Configurations
• Elemental Measures
• Enthalpy Change Questions
• Equilibrium Concept
• Equilibrium Constant Expression
• Equilibrium Calculations - Questions
• Equilibrium ICE Table
• Intermolecular Forces Questions
• Ionic Bonding
• Lewis Electron Dot Structures
• Limiting Reactants
• Line Spectra Questions
• Mass Stoichiometry
• Measurement and Numbers
• Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids
• Metric Estimations
• Metric System
• Molarity Ranking Tasks
• Mole Conversions
• Name That Element
• Names to Formulas
• Names to Formulas 2
• Nuclear Decay
• Particles, Words, and Formulas
• Periodic Trends
• Precipitation Reactions and Net Ionic Equations
• Pressure Concepts
• Pressure-Temperature Gas Law
• Pressure-Volume Gas Law
• Chemical Reaction Types
• Significant Digits and Measurement
• States Of Matter Exercise
• Stoichiometry Law Breakers
• Stoichiometry - Math Relationships
• Subatomic Particles
• Spontaneity and Driving Forces
• Gibbs Free Energy
• Volume-Temperature Gas Law
• Acid-Base Properties
• Energy and Chemical Reactions
• Chemical and Physical Properties
• Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory
• Writing Balanced Chemical Equations
• Mission CG1
• Mission CG10
• Mission CG2
• Mission CG3
• Mission CG4
• Mission CG5
• Mission CG6
• Mission CG7
• Mission CG8
• Mission CG9
• Mission EC1
• Mission EC10
• Mission EC11
• Mission EC12
• Mission EC2
• Mission EC3
• Mission EC4
• Mission EC5
• Mission EC6
• Mission EC7
• Mission EC8
• Mission EC9
• Mission RL1
• Mission RL2
• Mission RL3
• Mission RL4
• Mission RL5
• Mission RL6
• Mission KG7
• Mission RL8
• Mission KG9
• Mission RL10
• Mission RL11
• Mission RM1
• Mission RM2
• Mission RM3
• Mission RM4
• Mission RM5
• Mission RM6
• Mission RM8
• Mission RM10
• Mission LC1
• Mission RM11
• Mission LC2
• Mission LC3
• Mission LC4
• Mission LC5
• Mission LC6
• Mission LC8
• Mission SM1
• Mission SM2
• Mission SM3
• Mission SM4
• Mission SM5
• Mission SM6
• Mission SM8
• Mission SM10
• Mission KG10
• Mission SM11
• Mission KG2
• Mission KG3
• Mission KG4
• Mission KG5
• Mission KG6
• Mission KG8
• Mission KG11
• Mission F2D1
• Mission F2D2
• Mission F2D3
• Mission F2D4
• Mission F2D5
• Mission F2D6
• Mission KC1
• Mission KC2
• Mission KC3
• Mission KC4
• Mission KC5
• Mission KC6
• Mission KC7
• Mission KC8
• Mission AAA
• Mission SM9
• Mission LC7
• Mission LC9
• Mission NL1
• Mission NL2
• Mission NL3
• Mission NL4
• Mission NL5
• Mission NL6
• Mission NL7
• Mission NL8
• Mission NL9
• Mission NL10
• Mission NL11
• Mission NL12
• Mission MC1
• Mission MC10
• Mission MC2
• Mission MC3
• Mission MC4
• Mission MC5
• Mission MC6
• Mission MC7
• Mission MC8
• Mission MC9
• Mission RM7
• Mission RM9
• Mission RL7
• Mission RL9
• Mission SM7
• Mission SE1
• Mission SE10
• Mission SE11
• Mission SE12
• Mission SE2
• Mission SE3
• Mission SE4
• Mission SE5
• Mission SE6
• Mission SE7
• Mission SE8
• Mission SE9
• Mission VP1
• Mission VP10
• Mission VP2
• Mission VP3
• Mission VP4
• Mission VP5
• Mission VP6
• Mission VP7
• Mission VP8
• Mission VP9
• Mission WM1
• Mission WM2
• Mission WM3
• Mission WM4
• Mission WM5
• Mission WM6
• Mission WM7
• Mission WM8
• Mission WE1
• Mission WE10
• Mission WE2
• Mission WE3
• Mission WE4
• Mission WE5
• Mission WE6
• Mission WE7
• Mission WE8
• Mission WE9
• Vector Walk Interactive
• Name That Motion Interactive
• Kinematic Graphing 1 Concept Checker
• Kinematic Graphing 2 Concept Checker
• Graph That Motion Interactive
• Two Stage Rocket Interactive
• Rocket Sled Concept Checker
• Force Concept Checker
• Free-Body Diagrams Concept Checker
• Free-Body Diagrams The Sequel Concept Checker
• Skydiving Concept Checker
• Elevator Ride Concept Checker
• Vector Addition Concept Checker
• Vector Walk in Two Dimensions Interactive
• Name That Vector Interactive
• River Boat Simulator Concept Checker
• Projectile Simulator 2 Concept Checker
• Projectile Simulator 3 Concept Checker
• Hit the Target Interactive
• Turd the Target 1 Interactive
• Turd the Target 2 Interactive
• Balance It Interactive
• Go For The Gold Interactive
• Egg Drop Concept Checker
• Fish Catch Concept Checker
• Exploding Carts Concept Checker
• Collision Carts - Inelastic Collisions Concept Checker
• Its All Uphill Concept Checker
• Stopping Distance Concept Checker
• Chart That Motion Interactive
• Roller Coaster Model Concept Checker
• Uniform Circular Motion Concept Checker
• Horizontal Circle Simulation Concept Checker
• Vertical Circle Simulation Concept Checker
• Race Track Concept Checker
• Gravitational Fields Concept Checker
• Orbital Motion Concept Checker
• Angular Acceleration Concept Checker
• Balance Beam Concept Checker
• Torque Balancer Concept Checker
• Aluminum Can Polarization Concept Checker
• Charging Concept Checker
• Name That Charge Simulation
• Coulomb's Law Concept Checker
• Electric Field Lines Concept Checker
• Put the Charge in the Goal Concept Checker
• Circuit Builder Concept Checker (Series Circuits)
• Circuit Builder Concept Checker (Parallel Circuits)
• Circuit Builder Concept Checker (∆V-I-R)
• Circuit Builder Concept Checker (Voltage Drop)
• Equivalent Resistance Interactive
• Pendulum Motion Simulation Concept Checker
• Mass on a Spring Simulation Concept Checker
• Particle Wave Simulation Concept Checker
• Boundary Behavior Simulation Concept Checker
• Slinky Wave Simulator Concept Checker
• Simple Wave Simulator Concept Checker
• Wave Addition Simulation Concept Checker
• Standing Wave Maker Simulation Concept Checker
• Color Addition Concept Checker
• Painting With CMY Concept Checker
• Stage Lighting Concept Checker
• Filtering Away Concept Checker
• InterferencePatterns Concept Checker
• Young's Experiment Interactive
• Plane Mirror Images Interactive
• Who Can See Who Concept Checker
• Optics Bench (Mirrors) Concept Checker
• Name That Image (Mirrors) Interactive
• Refraction Concept Checker
• Total Internal Reflection Concept Checker
• Optics Bench (Lenses) Concept Checker
• Kinematics Preview
• Velocity Time Graphs Preview
• Moving Cart on an Inclined Plane Preview
• Stopping Distance Preview
• Cart, Bricks, and Bands Preview
• Fan Cart Study Preview
• Friction Preview
• Coffee Filter Lab Preview
• Friction, Speed, and Stopping Distance Preview
• Up and Down Preview
• Projectile Range Preview
• Ballistics Preview
• Juggling Preview
• Marshmallow Launcher Preview
• Air Bag Safety Preview
• Colliding Carts Preview
• Collisions Preview
• Engineering Safer Helmets Preview
• Push the Plow Preview
• Its All Uphill Preview
• Energy on an Incline Preview
• Modeling Roller Coasters Preview
• Hot Wheels Stopping Distance Preview
• Ball Bat Collision Preview
• Energy in Fields Preview
• Weightlessness Training Preview
• Roller Coaster Loops Preview
• Universal Gravitation Preview
• Keplers Laws Preview
• Kepler's Third Law Preview
• Charge Interactions Preview
• Sticky Tape Experiments Preview
• Wire Gauge Preview
• Voltage, Current, and Resistance Preview
• Light Bulb Resistance Preview
• Series and Parallel Circuits Preview
• Thermal Equilibrium Preview
• Linear Expansion Preview
• Heating Curves Preview
• Electricity and Magnetism - Part 1 Preview
• Electricity and Magnetism - Part 2 Preview
• Vibrating Mass on a Spring Preview
• Period of a Pendulum Preview
• Wave Speed Preview
• Slinky-Experiments Preview
• Standing Waves in a Rope Preview
• Sound as a Pressure Wave Preview
• DeciBel Scale Preview
• DeciBels, Phons, and Sones Preview
• Sound of Music Preview
• Shedding Light on Light Bulbs Preview
• Models of Light Preview
• Electromagnetic Radiation Preview
• Electromagnetic Spectrum Preview
• EM Wave Communication Preview
• Digitized Data Preview
• Light Intensity Preview
• Concave Mirrors Preview
• Object Image Relations Preview
• Snells Law Preview
• Reflection vs. Transmission Preview
• Magnification Lab Preview
• Reactivity Preview
• Ions and the Periodic Table Preview
• Periodic Trends Preview
• Chemical Reactions Preview
• Intermolecular Forces Preview
• Melting Points and Boiling Points Preview
• Bond Energy and Reactions Preview
• Reaction Rates Preview
• Ammonia Factory Preview
• Stoichiometry Preview
• Nuclear Chemistry Preview
• Gaining Teacher Access
• Task Tracker Directions
• Conceptual Physics Course
• On-Level Physics Course
• Honors Physics Course
• Chemistry Concept Builders
• All Chemistry Resources
• Users Voice
• Tasks and Classes
• Webinars and Trainings
• Subscription
• Subscription Locator
• 1-D Kinematics
• Newton's Laws
• Vectors - Motion and Forces in Two Dimensions
• Momentum and Its Conservation
• Work and Energy
• Circular Motion and Satellite Motion
• Thermal Physics
• Static Electricity
• Electric Circuits
• Vibrations and Waves
• Sound Waves and Music
• Light and Color
• Reflection and Mirrors
• Measurement and Calculations
• About the Physics Interactives
• Task Tracker
• Usage Policy
• Newtons Laws
• Vectors and Projectiles
• Forces in 2D
• Momentum and Collisions
• Circular and Satellite Motion
• Balance and Rotation
• Electromagnetism
• Waves and Sound
• Atomic Physics
• Forces in Two Dimensions
• Work, Energy, and Power
• Circular Motion and Gravitation
• Sound Waves
• 1-Dimensional Kinematics
• Circular, Satellite, and Rotational Motion
• Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
• Waves, Sound and Light
• QuickTime Movies
• About the Concept Builders
• Pricing For Schools
• Directions for Version 2
• Measurement and Units
• Relationships and Graphs
• Rotation and Balance
• Vibrational Motion
• Reflection and Refraction
• Teacher Accounts
• Kinematic Concepts
• Kinematic Graphing
• Wave Motion
• Sound and Music
• About CalcPad
• 1D Kinematics
• Vectors and Forces in 2D
• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Rotational Kinematics
• Rotation and Torque
• Rotational Dynamics
• Electric Fields, Potential, and Capacitance
• Transient RC Circuits
• Light Waves
• Units and Measurement
• Stoichiometry
• Molarity and Solutions
• Thermal Chemistry
• Acids and Bases
• Kinetics and Equilibrium
• Solution Equilibria
• Oxidation-Reduction
• Nuclear Chemistry
• Newton's Laws of Motion
• Work and Energy Packet
• Static Electricity Review
• NGSS Alignments
• 1D-Kinematics
• Projectiles
• Circular Motion
• Magnetism and Electromagnetism
• Graphing Practice
• About the ACT
• ACT Preparation
• For Teachers
• Other Resources
• Solutions Guide
• Solutions Guide Digital Download
• Motion in One Dimension
• Work, Energy and Power
• Chemistry of Matter
• Names and Formulas
• Algebra Based On-Level Physics
• Honors Physics
• Conceptual Physics
• Other Tools
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Purchasing the Download
• Purchasing the Digital Download
• About the NGSS Corner
• NGSS Search
• Force and Motion DCIs - High School
• Energy DCIs - High School
• Wave Applications DCIs - High School
• Force and Motion PEs - High School
• Energy PEs - High School
• Wave Applications PEs - High School
• Crosscutting Concepts
• The Practices
• Physics Topics
• NGSS Corner: Activity List
• NGSS Corner: Infographics
• About the Toolkits
• Position-Velocity-Acceleration
• Position-Time Graphs
• Velocity-Time Graphs
• Newton's First Law
• Newton's Second Law

Newton's Third Law

• Terminal Velocity
• Projectile Motion
• Forces in 2 Dimensions
• Impulse and Momentum Change
• Momentum Conservation
• Work-Energy Fundamentals
• Work-Energy Relationship
• Roller Coaster Physics
• Satellite Motion
• Electric Fields
• Circuit Concepts
• Series Circuits
• Parallel Circuits
• Describing-Waves
• Wave Behavior Toolkit
• Standing Wave Patterns
• Resonating Air Columns
• Wave Model of Light
• Plane Mirrors
• Curved Mirrors
• Teacher Guide
• Using Lab Notebooks
• Current Electricity
• Light Waves and Color
• Reflection and Ray Model of Light
• Refraction and Ray Model of Light
• Teacher Resources
• Subscriptions

• Newton's Laws
• Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
• About Concept Checkers
• School Pricing
• Newton's Laws of Motion
• Newton's First Law
• Newton's Third Law
• Identifying Interaction Force Pairs

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Examples of Interaction Force Pairs

A variety of action-reaction force pairs are evident in nature. Consider the propulsion of a fish through the water. A fish uses its fins to push water backwards. But a push on the water will only serve to accelerate the water. Since forces result from mutual interactions, the water must also be pushing the fish forwards, propelling the fish through the water. The size of the force on the water equals the size of the force on the fish; the direction of the force on the water (backwards) is opposite the direction of the force on the fish (forwards). For every action, there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction force. Action-reaction force pairs make it possible for fish to swim.

Consider the motion of a car on the way to school. A car is equipped with wheels that spin. As the wheels spin, they grip the road and push the road backwards. Since forces result from mutual interactions, the road must also be pushing the wheels forward. The size of the force on the road equals the size of the force on the wheels (or car); the direction of the force on the road (backwards) is opposite the direction of the force on the wheels (forwards). For every action, there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction. Action-reaction force pairs make it possible for cars to move along a roadway surface.

freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "physicsclassroom_incontent_2", slotId: "physicsclassroom_incontent_2" });

Check your understanding.

Trick Question! Each force is the same size. For every action, there is an equal ... (equal!). The fact that the firefly splatters only means that with its smaller mass, it is less able to withstand the larger acceleration resulting from the interaction. Besides, fireflies have guts and bug guts have a tendency to be splatterable . Windshields don't have guts. There you have it.

2. For years, space travel was believed to be impossible because there was nothing that rockets could push off of in space in order to provide the propulsion necessary to accelerate. This inability of a rocket to provide propulsion is because ...

a. ... space is void of air so the rockets have nothing to push off of. b. ... gravity is absent in space. c. ... space is void of air and so there is no air resistance in space. d. ... nonsense! Rockets do accelerate in space and have been able to do so for a long time.

Answer:  D

I t is a common misconception that rockets are unable to accelerate in space. The fact is that rockets do accelerate. There is indeed nothing for rockets to push off of in space - at least nothing which is external to the rocket. But that's no problem for rockets. Rockets are able to accelerate due to the fact that they burn fuel and push the exhaust gases in a direction opposite the direction which they wish to accelerate.

a. greater than the acceleration of the bullet. b. smaller than the acceleration of the bullet. c. the same size as the acceleration of the bullet.

Answer:  B

The force on the rifle equals the force on the bullet. Yet, acceleration depends on both force and mass. The bullet has a greater acceleration due to the fact that it has a smaller mass. Remember: acceleration and mass are inversely proportional.

4. In the top picture (below), Kent Budgett is pulling upon a rope that is attached to a wall. In the bottom picture, Kent is pulling upon a rope that is attached to an elephant. In each case, the force scale reads 500 Newton. Kent is pulling ...

a. with more force when the rope is attached to the wall. b. with more force when the rope is attached to the elephant. c. the same force in each case.

Remember Me

Shop Experiment Newton’s Third Law Experiments​

Newton’s third law.

Experiment #11 from Physics with Vernier

Introduction

You may have learned this statement of Newton’s third law: “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” What does this sentence mean? This experiment will help you investigate this question.

Unlike Newton’s first two laws of motion, which concern only individual objects, the third law describes an interaction between two bodies. For example, what if you pull on your partner’s hand with your hand? To study this interaction, you can use two Force Sensors. As one object (your hand) pushes or pulls on another object (your partner’s hand), the Force Sensors will record those pushes and pulls. They will be related in a very simple way as predicted by Newton’s third law.

The action referred to in the phrase above is the force applied by your hand, and the reaction is the force that is applied by your partner’s hand. Together, they are known as a force pair . This short experiment will show how the forces are related.

• Observe the directional relationship between force pairs.
• Observe the time variation of force pairs.
• Explain Newton’s third law in simple language.

Sensors and Equipment

This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.

Ready to Experiment?

Ask an expert.

Get answers to your questions about how to teach this experiment with our support team.

• Call toll-free: 888-837-6437
• Chat with Us
• Email [email protected]

Purchase the Lab Book

This experiment is #11 of Physics with Vernier . The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.

Choose an Account to Log In

Notifications

Science project, hero's engine: example of newton's third law.

Sir Isaac Newton , a scientist and philosopher of the late 1600’s, spent many years trying to come up with codified rules that describe how all stuff in the universe behaves. In the experiment below, we will explore Newton’s third law, which states that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction ”—but what does this mean, exactly?

Imagine dropping a tennis ball to the ground. What happens in response to the action of the ball striking the ground? It bounces back up towards you. This is due to the reaction ary force of the floor acting against the ball, which pushes it upwards into the air.

To explore this idea more fully, you can easily construct your very own device called an aeolipile (sometimes referred to as Hero’s Engine or a Hero engine ). Created by an engineer named Hero of Alexandria about 2000 years ago, this invention was able to show one way in which an action can lead to an equal and opposite reaction: an example of Newton's third law.

• Plastic cup
• 2 plastic bendable straws
• Craft knife
• Water and sink
• Modeling clay
• Take plastic cup and have an adult help you poke two small holes near the top rim on opposite sides from one another.
• Thread string through the holes and tie a knot so that the cup can be suspended from the string.
• Have an adult make two slightly larger holes near the bottom of the cup as seen in the picture below (make sure these holes are just large enough for the straws to fit through)
• Cut each straw about 1.5 inches below its bendable portion.
• Slide the straws into the holes. Make sure that they both point in a clockwise direction.
• Use your modeling clay to seal the space between the cup and the straw so that no water leaks out when you fill the cup.
• Hold the finished Hero engine away from your body. Pour water into the cup and observe.

Gravity draws the water downward and out through each straw. This causes the engine to spin in a clockwise direction.

The water being forced by gravity to leave the cup in a clockwise direction pushes back on the cup in a counterclockwise direction, causing the cup to turn. This is the same principle that enables rockets to work—gas that’s forced out of the nozzle pushes back on the rocket, propelling it forward!

Related learning resources

Add to collection, create new collection, new collection, new collection>, sign up to start collecting.

Bookmark this to easily find it later. Then send your curated collection to your children, or put together your own custom lesson plan.

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• What Is Newton's Third Law?

Lesson What Is Newton's Third Law?

Grade Level: 6 (5-7)

Time Required: 1 hour

Lesson Dependency: What is Newton's First Law? What is Newton's Second Law?

Subject Areas: Physical Science, Physics

NGSS Performance Expectations:

• Print lesson and its associated curriculum

Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

• What Is Newton's First Law?
• What Is Newton's Second Law?
• Sliding Textbooks

TE Newsletter

Engineering connection, learning objectives, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, associated activities, vocabulary/definitions, user comments & tips.

Consider the apple, which according to folklore, fell on Isaac Newton's head and sparked his thoughts on gravity and motion. Gravity applies a downward force on the apple's stem, and the stem applies an equal and opposite force upwards to keep the apple suspended. When the stem became too weak to apply an equally strong reaction force, the apple plunged downward toward his head.

Examples of Newton's third law of motion are ubiquitous in everyday life. For example, when you jump, your legs apply a force to the ground, and the ground applies and equal and opposite reaction force that propels you into the air. Engineers apply Newton's third law when designing rockets and other projectile devices. During launch, the burning fuel exerts a downward force, and the reaction force pushes the rocket into the air. In space, the rocket applies its rear thrusters to move forward, which provides another example of how engineers take advantage of reaction forces in their designs.

After this lesson, students should be able to:

• Identify action-reaction force pairs.
• Draw and explain simplified free-body diagrams showing action-reaction pairs.
• State and explain Newton's third law.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

State Standards

California - science.

Students should be familiar with the concepts of mass, properties of matter (weight, density, volume), and basic algebraic equations.

Newton's third law can also be observed in rockets and other projectiles. To launch, a large force is exerted from the engines of a rocket on the space behind it. In reaction to this force, the air pushes back with an equal magnitude, propelling the rocket forward. What other examples can you think of?

(Continue by showing the presentation and delivering the content in the Lesson Background section.)

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Teacher Preparation

• Be ready to show students the Forces and Newton's Third Law Presentation (a seven-slide PowerPoint® presentation) to teach the lesson.
• For the Hero's Engine demonstration, have handy a soda can, nail, piece of string and water. Use a nail to poke four holes around the base of an empty soda can. When the nail is in each hole, push the nail to the left or the right to angle the hole so the water will stream out on a tangent to produce thrust; do the same for each hole. Tie a string to the tab. For the demonstration, fill the can with water and lift it with the string over a sink or tub (or outside) so students can observe the rotational movement of the can spinning as water flows out of the holes. Refer to slide 2 and NASA Pop Can "Hero Engine" for instructions.
• In advance, make copies of Newton's Final Quiz (one per student).
• At some point during the presentation, perhaps when talking about some action-reaction examples (slides 3-6), go over how to draw the (conceptual) free-body diagram vectors (arrows) of force, velocity and acceleration, which students will be asked to do as part of the homework assignment.

Newton's Third Law of Motion Presentation Outline (slides 1-7)

Open the Forces and Newton's Third Law Presentation for all students to view and present the lesson content, guided by the script below and text in the slide notes. The slides are animated so clicking brings up the next text/image/answer.

Objective: To be able to identify action-reaction force pairs .

( slide 2 ) Introduce Newton's third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ask students: Have you heard this before? What do you think it means?

Then demonstrate the third law by showing students a modern version of Hero's Engine, which takes just a few minutes. Hero of Alexandria was an ancient Greek mathematician and experimentalist who lived in Egypt. His original engine was steam-powered, but the soda can version works well to demonstrate the same concept. For the demo, fill the prepared can with water and lift it with the string over a sink or tub (or outside) so students can observe the rotational movement as water flows out of the holes and the can spins. The can spins due to the reaction force associated with the flow of water.

Alternatively, demonstrate the third law by having one student sit on a scooter with a basketball and then throw the ball to another student. The reaction force from the throw is evident when the throwing student is propelled backward on the scooter.

( slide 3 ) Tell students that forces come in what are called "action-reaction force pairs." This slide shows a stack of concrete blocks resting on the ground. Identify the action-reaction pair for the class: the block's weight pushes on the ground and the ground pushes back up on the block.

( slide 4 ) Next, ask students to identify the action-reaction pair in the photograph of a firing cannon. The cannon exerts a force on the cannon ball, and the cannon ball exerts an equal and opposite force on the cannon. Point out that Newton's third law explains the recoil of projectile weapons such as cannons and guns. Students who have seen Wall-E may recall a scene in which the robot uses the fire extinguisher as a propulsion system (the reaction force causes the robot to move). Another good third law/recoil example is a garden hose dancing around the yard, moving because of the force of water running through it.

( slide 5 ) Ask students to identify the action-reaction force pairs in the photograph of a space shuttle launch. The space shuttle exerts a downward force, and the reaction force pushes it upwards.

( slide 6 ) Challenge students to identify all the action-reaction force pairs in this photograph of two football players. Examples: hand-helmet, hand-shoulder, ball-hand, shoe-ground.

This may be a good time to review how to draw (conceptual) free-body diagram vectors (arrows) of force, velocity and acceleration.

( slide 7 ) Review the concepts from all three lessons in this unit . Conclude the presentation with a review of the key concepts, as listed on the slide, with blanks for students to supply the answers. Through these three lessons, expect students to have developed an understanding of Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. These fundamental laws of physics describe how forces impact the motion of objects. Without forces, no changes in motion can occur. Understanding forces can be a very powerful thing! Because engineers understand how forces cause objects to slow down, speed up and turn, they are able to design complicated mechanical systems ranging from airplanes to door knobs to delicate drug delivery systems.

Next, conduct the associated activity, Sliding Textbooks , followed by the final quiz, as described in the Assessment section.

Watch this activity on YouTube

acceleration: The amount of change in an object's velocity.

force: A push, pull or twist of an object.

inertia: An object's resistance to changing its motion.

Newton's first law: Unless an unbalanced force acts on an object, an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.

Newton's second law: Force = mass x acceleration aka F=ma

Newton's third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

velocity: The speed and direction of an object.

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Homework Review: Review students' answers to Newton's First and Second Laws Homework , which was assigned at the close of the previous lesson, What is Newton's Second Law? Verify that students are confident with Newton's first and second laws before continuing with Newton's third law.

Post-Introduction Assessment

Questions: As an embedded assessment, gauge student understanding of Newton's third law based on their responses to the questions on slides 4, 5 and 6 of the Forces and Newton's Third Law Presentation . Use the questions on slide 7 as a review prior to administering the final quiz.

Lesson Summary Assessment

Unit Quiz: After reviewing the questions on slide 7, answering any remaining student questions and conducting the associated activity, Sliding Textbooks , administer Newton's Laws Final Quiz as an assessment that covers the material in all three lessons in the unit. This requires students to draw (conceptual) free-body diagram vectors (arrows) of force, velocity and acceleration. Alternatively, administer the quiz after this lesson (before conducting the associated activity).

Students explore motion, rockets and rocket motion while assisting Spacewoman Tess, Spaceman Rohan and Maya in their explorations. First they learn some basic facts about vehicles, rockets and why we use them. Then, they discover that the motion of all objects—including the flight of a rocket and mo...

Students are introduced to the concepts of force, inertia and Newton's first law of motion: objects at rest stay at rest and objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Students learn the difference between speed, velocity and acceleration, and come to see that the cha...

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how a spacecraft gets from the surface of the Earth to Mars. Students first investigate rockets and how they are able to get us into space. Finally, the nature of an orbit is discussed as well as how orbits enable us to get from planet to planet — spec...

Students are introduced to Newton's second law of motion: force = mass x acceleration. Both the mathematical equation and physical examples are discussed, including Atwood's Machine to illustrate the principle. Students come to understand that an object's acceleration depends on its mass and the str...

Louviere, Georgia. "Newton's Laws of Motion." 2006. Rice University. Accessed April 1, 2014. http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/index.html

"Newton's Laws." 2014. Physics Tutorial, The Physics Classroom. Accessed April 1, 2014. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed by the Renewable Energy Systems Opportunity for Unified Research Collaboration and Education (RESOURCE) project in the College of Engineering under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE 0948021. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: January 24, 2024

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

31 Newton’s Third Law

In addition to Newton’s second law, there is one more important bit we must learn about forces.  That is,  forces come in pairs.  To illustrate, consider the following thought experiment.

Exercise 31.1: Pushing off a wall

When you push on the wall, it is the wall that should accelerate . So what’s going on?

Newton’s third law takes the conclusion from our thought experiment, and promotes it to a law of physics:

If A pushes on B ,  then B pushes on A .

The forces “A pushing on B” and “B pushing on A” are referred to as force pairs, and are often described as “equal and opposite” in that they are equal to each other in magnitude, but point in opposite directions.  Let’s look at some examples.

Exercise 31.2: Force Pairs

A book is resting on a table.  What is the force pair of the normal force pushing upwards on the book?

The force pair of the normal force on the book is the normal force of the book pushing on the table.  Every force-pair question will come down to repeating our mantra: if A pushes on B, then B pushes on A .

Let’s try a few more.

Finally, let’s try a conceptual question. When you paddle a canoe, you move the oar  backwards to make the canoe move forwards.  Explain  why the canoe accelerates forward when you move the oar backwards.

The forces are equal and opposite, but that is because of Newton’s 2nd law: the box is not accelerating, so these two forces must be balanced.

What about the third law?  Let’s go through it:

• The normal force is “the floor pushing on the box” (sentence B).

Sentence A is not the same thing as sentence B.  For instance, in sentence A, the thing being pushed is “the Earth.”  In sentence B, the thing being pushed is “the box.”   Bottom line: the normal force is  not  the force pair of the weight.

Finally, let’s solve a problem that requires using Newton’s 3rd law to arrive at the answer.

Exercise 31.3: Using Newton’s 3rd Law

Before getting to our drawing, answer the following questions; it will help you make a good drawing.

Now for the picture.  In this problem we care about how both boxes move, which could result in very crowded force diagrams. To avoid this, you should “pull out” one of the boxes, and use that to draw the forces on that box (see below).   Finish up my drawing, and then compare to my solution.

If your solution doesn’t look like mine, or you’re simply feeling wobbly, I have included below a video of how I make my picture.

Now that you have the drawing in place, find relations and solve unknowns. If you get stuck, I go through the full solution in the video below.

You now know how the “tablecloth” trick works!

Key Takeaways

Complete the mantra:

Introductory Physics: Classical Mechanics Copyright © by . All Rights Reserved.

Share This Book

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

OR, Choose a Category

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton, an English scientist born in 1642, discovered three important principles of physics that describe how things move. Consequently, the principles bear his name, Newton’s First, Second, and Third Laws of Motion. Today’s experiment demonstrates  Newton’s Third Law of Motion . It says that for every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. Basically, if an object is pushed, that object will push back in the opposite direction, equally hard.

Websites, Activities & Printables

• Groovy Lab in a Box: 4 Groovy Ways to Teach Newton’s Third Law
• Lego Challenge: Newton’s Third Law
• NASA: Newton’s Third Law of Motion
• IndyPL Blog: Newton’s First Law of Motion
• IndyPL Blog: Newton’s Second Law of Motion

You can ask a math and science expert for homework help by calling the  Ask Rose Homework Hotline . They provide FREE math and science homework help to Indiana students in grades 6-12.

e-Books and Audiobooks

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Sir Isaac Newton at any of our  locations , or  check out Sir Isaac Newton e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids  right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use e-books  and  learn how to use audiobooks .

Need more help?  Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations  or  call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian . Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Newton’s Laws of Motion: The Science Behind How Things Move

Newton’s Laws of Motion explain force and motion, or why things move the way they do. They are great concepts to explore by doing a science experiment. These are especially good science project ideas for kids who like to move! The concepts can often be explained using sports equipment or by understanding how amusement park rides work. These books offer ideas for physics experiments that demonstrate force and motion and the laws that govern them. Some of them provide the background information needed for the report that is often required to go with projects for the science fair.

View more…

• Tags Homework Help , Science Experiments

PraxiLabs A virtual world of science

Your Guide to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: Detailed Explanation with 7 Examples

Last Updated on April 11, 2023 by Sara Assem

The laws of physics are prominent in our everyday life, as they permeate, govern, and fully control every step we take and every move we make. The various applications of Newton’s third law of motion form a good example to recall in this context, especially within the boundaries of our solar system.

In this article, we will elaborately discuss the nature of this law, its equation, and its importance in our daily life, in addition to mentioning some real life examples of Newton’s third law.. Let’s take a look!

Table of Contents

What Is Newton’s Third Law of Motion?

In 1687, and throughout his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica masterpiece, widely known as the Principia , Sir Isaac Newton proposed his renowned three laws of motion, commonly named after him. The laws mainly deal with the term “force,” but do you know what the types of forces are?

Forces exist in two forms, either as a result of contact interactions, i.e., normal, tensional, frictional, and applied forces; or as a result of actions-at-a-distance interactions, existing in the form of electrical, electrical, and magnetic forces. In this law, Isaac Newton described any two objects that are interacting to be exerting mutual forces upon each other.

That is to say, if you are reading this article whilst sitting on a chair, therefore your body will be exerting a downward force on the chair, and so does the chair but in the upward direction.. YES! The chair too exerts force on you! Not just that, but during this battle between your body and the chair, the Earth will be also exerting a downward gravitational force on both of you!! And guess what? True.. both of you will be resisting being swallowed to the center of the Earth, and you will be exerting equally upward force.

Newton’s Third Law Equation

“Forces come in pairs.” That is how you can resemble Newton’s third law in your common everyday language. The two equal forces exerted are of the same magnitude, but in opposite direction, known as: action and reaction forces.

It is the elixir of physics for every law or proven logical statement to have a mathematically detailed equation. Thus, Newton’s third law equation states:

F A = – F B

where             F A :  the force exerted by the first object on the second, in a certain direction, and                     – F B : the force exerted by the second object on the first, but in an opposite direction.

A more sophisticated, yet useful formula, is given by

m 1 a 1 = – m 2 a 2

where              m 1 :  the mass of the first object,                        a 1 :  the acceleration of the first object,                       m 2 :  the mass of the second object,                        a 2 :  the acceleration of the second object.

Check Your Understanding!

Q1: A 60 kg person pushes a 10 kg box with a force of 30 N to the right. What is the force on the person? A1: 30 N to the left

Q2: A 60 kg person pushes a 10 kg box with a force of 30 N to the right. What is the acceleration of the box? A2: Only concerned with the force and acceleration of the box, represented by subscript 2

F 2 = 30 N Right       F 2 = m 2 a 2 m 2 = 10 kg a 2 = ?                      a 2 = F 2 / m 2           a 2 = 30/10          a 2 = 3 m/s 2 right.

Q3: A 60 kg person pushes a 10 kg box with a force of 30 N to the right. What is the acceleration of the person? A3: Only concerned with the force and acceleration of the person, represented by subscript 1

F 1 = 30 N Left        F 1 = m 1 a 1 m 1 = 60 kg a 1 = ?                     a 1 = F 1 / m 1            a 1 = 30/60             a 1 = 0.5 m/s 2 left.

Importance of Newton’s Third Law of Motion

If you place your physics book on a table, the book will stay still on the table unless you move it or a force moves it. Now think what law of motion keeps your book still?

This is one example of Newton’s third law of motion in everyday life that undisputedly dominates all our daily activities.

One of Newton’s third law axes of importance lies in it being the reason behind us knowing another essential law in physics: momentum is conserved throughout collisions between objects . That is to say, even if the occurring interaction is very short lived, and we do not know any of the forces magnitudes or directions while objects are in contact, in addition to being pretty sure that these forces are not constant during the contact, we can still solve the problem by analyzing what the two objects do and how they act after the collision because momentum is conserved and because the third law applies.

How Is Newton’s Third Law of Motion Useful in Our Real Life?

A variety of action-reaction force pairs are evident in nature, and in our real life. Here are 7 applications of Newton’s third law of motion:

• Walking: when you walk, you push the street; i.e., you apply an action force on the street’s ground, and the reaction force moves you forward.
• Gun Firing: when someone fires a gun, the action force pulls the bullet outside the gun, and the reaction force pushes the gun backward.
• Jumping from a boat: the action force is applied on the boat, and the reaction force pushes you to land. Parallelly, the action force pushes the boat backward.
• Slapping: when you slap someone, your hand feels pain and so does the cheek of the victim. The pain in the cheek is due to action force, and the pain in the palm is due to reaction force.
• Bouncing a ball: when a ball hits the ground, the ball applies an action force on the ground. The ground applies a reaction force and the ball bounces back.
• Flight motion of a bird: the wings of the bird push air downwards as action force, and the air pushes the bird upwards as reaction force.
• Swimming of a fish: the fish’s fins push water around it backward as an action force, and the water applies a reaction force by pushing the fins forward, thus the fish.

To totally visualize your understanding, PraxiLabs advise you would check this quick video funnily discussing Newton’s third law of motion examples in everyday life, with explanation.

Create your FREE account now to try the virtual experiments

Technology uses newton’s second and third laws of motion.

As we knew earlier, Sir Isaac Newton developed all the three laws of motion; the second law states that: acceleration of an object is directly proportional to and in the same direction as the net force acting on the system and inversely proportional to its mass . This law is mathematically denoted as:

Newton’s second law is pivotal in the applications of science and engineering, as it connects the dots between force and motion in one formula. By calculating the acceleration of an object and therefore its velocity and position, we can determine its trajectory, thus knowing where it will be at any given time.

Engineers also use Newton’s second law to calculate forces acting upon stationary objects. For a non-moving object the acceleration is zero; hence the sum of the forces acting on the object is also zero. Engineers apply Newton’s second law in designing structures to calculate the forces acting on joints in the framework of buildings and bridges. Elevators are another suitable example, as they follow Newton’s second law of motion according to which the ropes’ tension force is determined to limit the acceleration.

Newton’s third law explains how balloons and rocket engines work. When the neck of an inflated balloon is released, the stretched rubber material pushes against the air in the balloon, and the air rushes outside the neck of the balloon, whereas the action of the air rushing from the balloon pushes against the balloon itself, causing it to move in the opposite direction.

Speaking of rocket engines, when the rocket’s fuel is burnt, hot gasses are produced. These gasses rapidly expand and are forced out of the back of the rocket, where this is known as action force. At the same time, the gasses exert an equal and opposite force on the rocket itself, scientifically known as the reaction force, and this force pushes the rocket upward.

Wheels and levers both follow Newton’s third law of motion, as reaction force is the driving mechanism for these two gadgets. Gym equipment is mostly pulley-based; therefore Newton’s third law of motion is the law in action while you do your workout.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion Examples in Sports

It seems that this third law literally controls everything around us, from rocket science to the motion of animals, to humans everyday life, to the point that it literally controls how sportsmen and sportswomen perform their athletic activities. Since Newton’s third law is an “action-reaction” law, it is a key law in different fields of sports. It also works hand-in-hand with the conservation law of momentum. And in sports fields, this mostly includes many forms of inelastic collisions and elastic ones in some rare cases.

A hockey puck will keep on sliding on the ice until it hits the wall, or it is hit by another player. In order to jump off a raft, it requires swimmers to move forward through the air, and the raft to move backwards through the water. Another sportive example where Newton’s third law dominates is shooting ranges, as shooting activities wouldn’t have existed without the action-reaction rule.

To know how Newton’s third law affects players’ motion and why momentum can keep them moving or stop them in their tracks, watch this Science of NFL Football video where professors explain how players g et the utmost benefit from physics laws in football fields.

In case you would like to read more about other Newton’s laws of motion, read this article discussing Newton’s first law of motion with equations and examples, or this article reviewing Newton’s second law.

If you would like to learn more about all of Newton’s laws of motion, you can read this article for more information, equations and examples about the first law, or see this article that reviews the second law and its most common applications in a smooth way.

Get Free Trial For Our Virtual Experiments  

About Sherouk Badr Shehata

What Are Newton's Laws of Motion?

Newton's First, Second and Third Laws of Motion

Getty Images / Dmitrii Guzhanin 

• Chemical Laws
• Periodic Table
• Projects & Experiments
• Scientific Method
• Biochemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Medical Chemistry
• Chemistry In Everyday Life
• Famous Chemists
• Activities for Kids
• Abbreviations & Acronyms
• Weather & Climate
• Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
• B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Newton's Laws of Motion help us understand how objects behave when standing still; when moving, and when forces act upon them. There are three laws of motion. Here is a description of Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion and a summary of what they mean.

Newton's First Law of Motion

Newton's First Law of Motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an external force acts upon it. Similarly, if the object is at rest, it will remain unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. Newton's First Law of Motion is also known as the Law of Inertia .

What Newton's First Law is saying is that objects behave predictably. If a ball is sitting on your table, it isn't going to start rolling or fall off the table unless a force acts upon it to cause it to do so. Moving objects don't change their direction unless a force causes them to move from their path.

As you know, if you slide a block across a table, it eventually stops rather than continuing forever. This is because the frictional force opposes the continued movement. If you throw a ball out in space, there is much less resistance. The ball will continue onward for a much greater distance.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that when a force acts on an object, it will cause the object to accelerate. The larger the object's mass, the greater the force will need to be to cause it to accelerate. This Law may be written as force = mass x acceleration or:

F = m * a

Another way to state the Second Law is to say it takes more force to move a heavy object than it does to move a light object. Simple, right? The law also explains deceleration or slowing down. You can think of deceleration as acceleration with a negative sign on it. For example, a ball rolling down a hill moves faster or accelerates as gravity acts on it in the same direction as the motion (acceleration is positive). If a ball is rolled up a hill, the force of gravity acts on it in the opposite direction of the motion (acceleration is negative or the ball decelerates).

Newton's Third Law of Motion

Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This means that pushing on an object causes that object to push back against you, the same amount but in the opposite direction. For example, when you are standing on the ground, you are pushing down on the Earth with the same magnitude of force it is pushing back up at you.

History of Newton's Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton introduced the three Newton's laws of motion in 1687 in his book entitled "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (or simply "The Principia"). The same book also discussed the theory of gravity . This one volume described the main rules still used in classical mechanics today.

• The Combined Gas Law in Chemistry
• Entropy Definition in Science
• Newton Definition
• Oxidation Definition and Example in Chemistry
• What Is the Density of Air at STP?
• Periodic Table Definition in Chemistry
• Stoichiometry Definition in Chemistry
• What Is an Element in Chemistry? Definition and Examples
• Chemical Property Definition and Examples
• Molar Ratio: Definition and Examples
• Joule Definition (Unit in Science)
• Element Symbol Definition in Chemistry
• Solution Definition in Chemistry
• Percent Yield Definition and Formula
• Double Replacement Reaction Definition

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

• Classroom Ideas
• Teacher’s Life
• Deals & Shopping
• Privacy Policy

Newtons Laws Of Motion Activities For Middle School: Ideas For First Law, Second Law, Third Law, Inertia, Motion, And Momentum

February 14, 2024 //  by  Cassie Caroll

There is no better way to teach your middle schooler about the laws of motion than by putting their knowledge into action. While Newton’s laws may seem a bit foreign to your learner at first, we found some of the best hands-on activities to help your student better understand these concepts. An object in motion stays in motion, and we hope these experiments will keep your learner learning! With some common objects and an inquisitive mind, we’ve found these exercises both engaging and enlightening!

Newton’s First Law Activities

1. ball bounce experiment.

One way to demonstrate Newton’s first law is by observing a ball in motion. Head to your garage and grab any type of ball you can find — a basketball, tennis ball, bouncy ball — the more varied the better. Then, have your student execute this activity to observe the different ways an object in motion reacts to outside forces. Consider keeping track of hypotheses and observations in a notebook!

Learn More: Metro Family Magazine

2. Inertia Demonstration

While inertia is a simple concept on the surface, putting the idea into action makes it much more accessible as the laws get more complex. This inertia demonstration allows your student to become the force that disrupts an inert object, plus it can quickly become a favorite “magic trick.”

Learn More: Science Sparks

3. Marble Maze

An object in motion stays in motion, and one way to manipulate the way in which an object moves is by constructing a marble maze. We like how easy this activity is to differentiate depending on your student’s level of understanding.

Learn More: Instructables

4. Inertia Hat

Do you know those pesky wire hangers that never seem to stay intact? Put them to good use with this inertia hat activity! Follow along with this video to experiment with the intricacies of inertia  and to give you and your student permission to get a little silly.

Learn More: Youtube

5. Quarter Catch

This activity will only cost 25 cents! The quarter catch is another experiment that may become a favorite party trick. Your student will place a quarter on their elbow and practice moving quickly enough to catch it before it falls, demonstrating inertia.

Learn More: Science Fun

6. Bernoulli’s Activity

Although this activity is based on Bernoulli’s principle, it has a direct correlation to Newton’s first law. Ask your student to figure out what happens when the force of their breath is applied to the ping pong ball and then when it is taken away. This is a great closure activity that quickly demonstrates the concept while making it fun!

Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

7. Whack-a-Stack

Like a quick game of Jenga, the whack-a-stack activity gives your student yet another example of Newton’s first law. All you need is a small stack of blocks or similar objects and a pipe-like instrument to conduct this experiment.

Learn More: Exploratorium

Newton’s Second Law Activities

8. marshmallow puff tube.

To explore acceleration and unbalanced forces, grab a marshmallow, some flour, a file folder, and a bit of tape. We love that this can be a very simple demonstration of Newton’s second law or be pushed even further to explore acceleration and friction.

9. Egg Bungee

To conceptualize different types of energy at play, have your student try this egg bungee experiment. You can use a range of materials to look at the roles of potential and kinetic energy, but don’t forget the paper towels for a swift clean up!

Learn More: Museum of Science+Industry Chicago

10. Crater Experiment

This crater experiment creates an excellent visual for Newton’s second law. The craters created by various items will help you demonstrate how mass and acceleration factor into an object’s force. This is another activity that will require some minor cleanup, but placing a towel underneath your experiment area can help.

11. Build a Projectile

Have your student learn about stored energy while creating a new toy  and recycling! This projectile activity is fun and informative and can be done using common household objects. Be sure to check out more instructions in the link.

Learn more: Arvin D. Gupta Toys

Newton’s Third Law Activities

12. popping canisters.

We love this Alka-Seltzer activity! With a little prep, this experiment can be a mess-free, interactive experience with Newton’s third law. This may take a couple of practice rounds, but the demonstration of equal and opposite reactions is well worth the rehearsal.

Learn More: Science Matters

13. Rocket Pinwheel

Bring the action-reaction principle to life with this DIY rocket pinwheel ! Using common household items and a dash of creativity, this rocket pinwheel can quickly become a favorite activity demonstrating Newton’s third law.

Learn More: NASA Teacher’s Resource Center

14. Hero’s Engine

To demonstrate Newton’s third law  and introduce your student to rocketry basics, try this Hero’s Engine activity. This activity can be done using different materials depending on what you have at your disposal. Try this pop can adaptation if you don’t have a plastic cup handy.

Learn More: Wabi 5

15. Marble Momentum 

You can demonstrate Newton’s third law in many different ways using just marbles! This particular marble experiment allows you to differentiate according to your students’ understanding and interest. Keep pushing your experimentation using a different number of marbles or even different sizes, then push it even further by using skateboards described later in these directions.

Learn More: Metro Family

16. Balloon Rocket

With just a string, straw, and latex balloon, your student can experiment with air flow and motion. Take a look at the balloon rocket activity shown at the start of this video. Then, discuss what your student is seeing. Why is it the balloon follows the trajectory they observed? How does air flow affect the balloon’s momentum?

17. DIY Newton’s Cradle

What’s a study of Newton’s law without Newton’s cradle? This super easy DIY Newton’s Cradle allows your student to take ownership over their learning and create a living example of Newton’s third law. There are tons of different ways of building a cradle, but we found this one to be the most user and budget friendly.

Learn More: Babble Dabble Do

More Inertia, Motion, and Momentum Activities

18. tablecloth pull.

Another fun way of experimenting with inertia is by practicing this “magic trick” with your learner. Our advice is to invest in some plasticware for this activity to avoid any broken glass. You may also want to opt for the wax paper alternative described in the post for optimal results.

Learn More: Science World

19. Collision Course

For a quick demonstration of equal and opposite reactions, create this miniature bumper car scenario! Grab two of anything that rolls of equal size. This collision course activity can be done as a brief demo or can be extended to be a more in-depth investigation of Newton’s third law.

Learn More: Science Buddies

20. Baking Soda Powered Boat

Create a baking soda-powered boat in your bathtub or nearby body of water! This experiment allows your learner to look at the different forces at work when their boat takes off.

21. Newton Car

Bring your student’s learning full circle by demonstrating all three of Newton’s laws using Newton’s car lab! This activity takes more time to setup, but the payoff is well worth it.

Learn More: NASA

22. Spinning Marbles

This spinning marbles activity is a great way to first introduce the idea of inertia and then experiment with different types of motion. Of course, be sure to supervise your learner when they use the hot glue!

Learn More: Kids Activities

23. Momentum Machine

Instead of creating a machine, why not become the machine yourself? Have your learner grab a spinning chair and a couple of liter bottles to experiment with momentum. This also creates a great boomerang moment for Instagram!

24. Spaghetti Accelerometer

If your learner is ready to consider acceleration when it comes to the laws of motion, this activity can be an excellent introduction. Although this spaghetti accelerometer requires some power tool work, once the setup is complete, it is a great opportunity to push your learner.

Teacher Resource Center

Pasco partnerships.

2024 Catalogs & Brochures

Newton's third law.

Determine the relationship between forces forming an action-reaction pair as defined in Newton's Third Law. Two Force Sensors are used to measure the paired forces in a rubber band tug-of-war and the paired forces in a collision of two carts.

Grade Level: College

Subject: Physics

Student Files

Teacher Files

Sign In to your PASCO account to access teacher files and sample data.

Featured Equipment

PASPORT High Resolution Force Sensor

The PASPORT High Resolution Force Sensor is designed to make very high resolution measurements of pulling and pushing forces.

Basic PAScar Metal Track 1.2 m System

The Basic PAScar Metal Track 1.2 System includes plastic PAScar dynamics carts and a 1.2-m aluminum dynamics track. The accessories package is not included.

Many lab activities can be conducted with our Wireless , PASPORT , or even ScienceWorkshop sensors and equipment. For assistance with substituting compatible instruments, contact PASCO Technical Support . We're here to help. Copyright © 2018 PASCO

Source Collection: Lab #18

Comprehensive 850 Physics System

More experiments.

• Average Speed and Velocity

High School

• Heat of Fusion
• Simple Pendulum
• Conservation of Momentum
• Coefficient of Friction
• Motion Graphs

Antibiotic Resistance, the Return to a World Without Weapons Against Infection

Schrödinger, a quantum behind the secret of life, openmind books, scientific anniversaries, what is the purpose of music, featured author, latest book, hooke, the genius whose big mistake was confronting newton.

It took three centuries after his death for historians to do justice to this multifaceted genius, whom they have begun to call “the English Leonardo da Vinci” . But much is still unknown about Robert Hooke, of whom today not even a portrait has been preserved despite his having been a star of the first golden age of science. His public image has been that of a jealous and vain person, who appropriated the discoveries of others. And both are due to his bitter disputes with Isaac Newton, who is said to have made great efforts to extirpate the achievements of his late arch-rival Hooke when he became president of the Royal Society.

The life of Robert Hooke (July 28, 1635 – March 3, 1703) is the classic tale of a self-made man who went from humble origins in the middle of the English Channel to rubbing shoulders with 17th-century London society. The son of an Anglican curate from the Isle of Wight, his father died when Hooke was 13 and he was left with an inheritance of 40 pounds . But that sum and his artistic skills were enough to allow young Hooke, by making the most of apprenticeships and scholarships, to get himself off that island and enrolled first in Westminster School in London and then the University of Oxford.

It was there that Robert Hooke was finally able to develop his passion for science and enter the circle of great scientists such as Robert Boyle, who adopted him as his assistant between 1655 and 1662. The prestige as an experimenter he gained in those years would serve him well, and he was unanimously granted the position of “curator of experiments” in the newly founded Royal Society of London in 1661, which made him the first paid scientific researcher in England. By that time he had already proposed the famous law of elasticity that bears his name and with which many school children today begin their study of physics.

One of the best experimental scientists

From that position in one of the oldest scientific academies in the world, which he held for the rest of his life, Robert Hooke developed his enormous research output, for which today he is recognized as one of the most important experimental scientists of all time . Hooke’s main task at the Royal Society was to experimentally demonstrate scientific ideas, either by his own methods or by following the ideas sent to him by members of that prestigious society.

There is some evidence that he took advantage of his position to appropriate some of those ideas as his own , which gave rise to his tarnished reputation. Be that as it may, at that time of rapidly expanding scientific knowledge (in which there were always several researchers working on the same ideas) he exhibited plenty of evidence of ingenuity and experimental skills. And both that and his capacity for hard work allowed him to stand out as an expert in an amazing number of specialties : biology, medicine, various fields of physics, engineering, horology (the science of measuring time), microscopy, navigation, astronomy and architecture.

He was the first to build a new type of telescope, the Gregorian telescope , with which he was able to observe that Mars and Jupiter rotated on their axes. He also promoted the scientific use of microscopes, with the iconic illustrations of his book Micrographia (1665), initiating an art perfected by new experts such as Anton van Leeuwenhoek . He is also recognised as one of the first to suggest the idea of ​​biological evolution and also proposed that light was formed by waves, which led to his first contact with Isaac Newton, who in 1670 developed his own theory of colour and argued that light was made up of particles. The criticism he received from Hooke offended him so much that Newton decided to withdraw from that public debate.

Thus Hooke was an authority, and not only in the field of science. After the great fire that devastated London in 1666, he was put in charge of surveying the city for its reconstruction , proposing a modern grid redevelopment. He was also the architect of many new buildings, contributed to the design of others such as the Royal Greenwich Observatory and conceived the method used to build the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Newton’s great rival

Hooke was at the zenith of his career in 1679 when he began an intense correspondence with Newton about gravitation, an idea that Hooke had already taken on a few years earlier . The great confrontation between the two men occurred when in 1686 Newton published the first volume of his Principia and Hooke affirmed that it was he who had given him the notion that led him to the law of universal gravitation. Hooke demanded credit as the author of the idea and Newton denied it. The most he came to recognise is that those letters with Hooke had rekindled his interest in astronomy , but had not brought him anything new. Many science histories have tried to insert into their quarrel Newton’s famous sentence penned to Hooke in a letter: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” which they consider a dig at Hooke, who was supposed to have been of rather short stature. But the truth is that this letter is earlier , from February 5, 1675, at a time when the relationship between the two English geniuses was still cordial.

There is no certainty about Robert Hooke’s appearance and stature, not least because no portrait of him has been preserved. Historically, this lack is attributed to Newton’s efforts to erase the figure of his great rival . What is certain is that this rivalry continued until the death of Hooke in 1703, upon which the last obstacle to Newton’s appointment as president of the Royal Society on November 30 of that same year disappeared. Newton then fulfilled his promise not to publish his corpuscular theory of light (which had provoked the first quarrel between them) until Hooke had died: he did so a year later, in the book Opticks (1704).

According to scientific legend, Newton also sent for the only portrait of Hooke and ordered it destroyed; another version states that he left it intentionally forgotten when the Royal Society moved to another building. However, Robert Hooke’s most recent biographer and scholar of his figure, Allan Chapman, rejects these stories as pure myths. Chapman and other historians have made a great effort in recent years to once again dignify this great genius of science. In 2003, painter Rita Greer embarked on historical research to produce a portrait of Hooke faithful to the two remaining written descriptions of him. His public image thus restored, that tribute portrait by Greer (which heads this text) has been used to illustrate numerous articles and documentaries, which finally cast Hooke in a fairer light in the history of science.

Francisco Domenech

Related publications.

• Newton and the Equations of Nature
• Great Images of Science
• The Merchant who Discovered Microscopic Life
• The Mathematical Revolution That Was Bred on a Sheep Farm

More about Science

Environment, leading figures, mathematics, scientific insights, more publications about ventana al conocimiento (knowledge window), comments on this publication.

Morbi facilisis elit non mi lacinia lacinia. Nunc eleifend aliquet ipsum, nec blandit augue tincidunt nec. Donec scelerisque feugiat lectus nec congue. Quisque tristique tortor vitae turpis euismod, vitae aliquam dolor pretium. Donec luctus posuere ex sit amet scelerisque. Etiam sed neque magna. Mauris non scelerisque lectus. Ut rutrum ex porta, tristique mi vitae, volutpat urna.

Sed in semper tellus, eu efficitur ante. Quisque felis orci, fermentum quis arcu nec, elementum malesuada magna. Nulla vitae finibus ipsum. Aenean vel sapien a magna faucibus tristique ac et ligula. Sed auctor orci metus, vitae egestas libero lacinia quis. Nulla lacus sapien, efficitur mollis nisi tempor, gravida tincidunt sapien. In massa dui, varius vitae iaculis a, dignissim non felis. Ut sagittis pulvinar nisi, at tincidunt metus venenatis a. Ut aliquam scelerisque interdum. Mauris iaculis purus in nulla consequat, sed fermentum sapien condimentum. Aliquam rutrum erat lectus, nec placerat nisl mollis id. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nam nisl nisi, efficitur et sem in, molestie vulputate libero. Quisque quis mattis lorem. Nunc quis convallis diam, id tincidunt risus. Donec nisl odio, convallis vel porttitor sit amet, lobortis a ante. Cras dapibus porta nulla, at laoreet quam euismod vitae. Fusce sollicitudin massa magna, eu dignissim magna cursus id. Quisque vel nisl tempus, lobortis nisl a, ornare lacus. Donec ac interdum massa. Curabitur id diam luctus, mollis augue vel, interdum risus. Nam vitae tortor erat. Proin quis tincidunt lorem.

The Mystery of Number 33 and the Diophantine Equations

Do you want to stay up to date with our new publications.

Receive the OpenMind newsletter with all the latest contents published on our website

OpenMind Books

• The Search for Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
• View all books

About OpenMind

Connect with us.

• Keep up to date with our newsletter

• Emerging Leaders

Arabian-Israel Normalization and Newton’s Third Law

Yusuf dhia-allah, safar 14, 1442 2020-10-01, main stories.

by Yusuf Dhia-Allah (Main Stories, Crescent International Vol. 49, No. 8, Safar, 1442 )

Every science student is familiar with Newton’s third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. As in physics so in politics. Take the case of the tiny shaikhdoms on the western shores of the Persian Gulf that have rushed to embrace the illegitimate Zionist entity occupying Palestine.

The August 13 announcement by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to normalize relations with Israel was followed on September 11 by the tiny statelet of Bahrain. On September 15, there was a circus-like ceremony on the White House lawn where the foreign ministers of UAE and Bahrain signed the instruments of surrender to the Zionist entity, overlooked by their godfather, US President Donald Trump.

Oman is likely to follow suit based on its reaction to moves by the two regimes. “ The Sultanate welcomes the initiative taken by the sisterly kingdom of Bahrain,” Oman TV channel said on its Twitter account on September 13. It went on: Oman hopes “this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital.”

Arabian surrender to the Zionists has always been presented under the rubric of promoting peace. There is no peace for the Palestinians whose tortured life under occupation has now been compounded by the pandemic and lack of medical facilities. Besides, neither the UAE nor Bahrain has ever fought the Zionist entity. The two are also not known to have ever sent any help to the oppressed Palestinians. If the shaikhdoms have never been involved in war with the Zionist entity, talk of ‘peace’ is meaningless. Even without formal diplomatic ties, their dealings with Israel had continued for decades.

Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash has admitted that relationship with Israel grew “organically” over the last 15 years or so. “Through engagement with the Trump administration, the idea... developed and percolated, and it was right to do it,” the Associated Press (AP) quoted him as saying.

The Emirati and Bahraini decisions for open diplomatic ties could not have come about without a nod from Riyadh. For the US and Israel, Saudi Arabia is the real prize. There are already close contacts between the Saudi and Zionist regimes. The Saudis want others to prepare the ground and soften the blow of their public surrender to Zionist Israel.

This is where Newton’s third law of motion (and now applicable to politics as well) comes into play. The Arabian dinosaurs’ stampede to embrace Israel has led to other regional powers reinforcing their alliances or coming together to form new ones to oppose such moves. Islamic Iran and Turkey are two of the strongest regional players that cooperate on a number of levels despite being on opposite sides in Syria. The Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, Hamas has also made moves to link up with the Lebanese Islamic resistance movement Hizbullah after years of somewhat strained relations, again over Syria. Not everyone in Hamas leadership was happy with spoiling relations with Syria, Hizbullah and Iran.

Hamas co-founder, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, has always advocated close ties with the Iran-led Resistance axis and lamented his movement’s decision to leave Damascus. That, however, is water under the bridge now.

Given the new ground realities, Hamas Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh held a meeting with Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on September 6. It was reported to be very cordial and both sides affirmed their commitment to defend the rights of the Palestinian people.

Hamas and the secular Palestinian Authority (PA) also seem to be inching toward patching up their differences. On September 8, Ismail Haniyeh called for the formation of a national unity government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to end internal divisions between Palestinians. He made the remarks in an interview with Palestine TV . This followed a meeting between various Palestinian groups in Beirut on September 3 to coordinate a unified stand against the conspiracy by the US, Israel and some Arabian regimes to bury the Palestinians’ quest for freedom and justice.

What these moves portend is that the Axis of Resistance is not oblivious of the plots of the warmongers and illegitimate rulers. Further, Russia and China also see Washington’s destabilizing and disruptive policies in the region as undermining not only the region but also their interests. Both are moving to protect them in cooperation with regional players.

There appears to be a convergence of interests between Iran, Turkey, Russia and China. These are both geopolitical and economic. Most of these countries are also subjected to illegal US sanctions. As the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out , “the United States seems to have lost its mind.”

American loss of mind at a time when it faces a civil war-like situation at home is being confronted by others with carefully-crafted responses and policies. On July 21, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Moscow to deliver an “important message” from President Hassan Rouhani to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This related to the renewal of the 20-year strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries. Dr Zarif also held detailed talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Following his meeting, Dr Zarif said on his Twitter account that Iran and Russia had “agreed to conclude [a] long-term comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement.” In Moscow, - Delivered important msg to President Putin. - Extensive talks with FM Lavrov on bilat coop + regional/global coordination. - Identical views on #JCPOA and need to uphold int’l law. - Agreed to conclude long-term comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement. pic.twitter.com/GDhn8VDhva

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 21, 2020

Zarif’s Moscow visit took place around the same time that news emerged of Iran-China $400 billion investment deal. While not finalized, the deal is said to span 25 years and will include Chinese investments in building Iran’s infrastructure (primarily railway tracks and roads) as well as oil and gas explorations. Iran, it is reported, will guarantee oil and gas supplies to China for the next 25 years. It is a win-win situation for both.

There are other schemes in the works. A new financial transaction arrangement bypassing the Western SWIFT system is being devised. Plans are also underway, and some have been implemented already, for barter trade in goods or trade in each other’s currency bypassing the US dollar.

Enhancement of military cooperation is another area involving regional countries. The latest manifestation of this was Russia’s Kavkaz-2020 military exercises that were held from September 21 to 26. More than 80,000 troops, including officers of the Russian Emergencies Ministry and the Russian Guard, as well as those from Iran, Armenia, Belarus, China, Myanmar and Pakistan participated in the exercises. Naval fleets from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea also participated.

What these moves indicate is that there is a perceptible shift in the balance of power toward the East. West and Central Asia are becoming the new hub of international alliances and activities bypassing the US.

Related Articles

Interesting Findings Of Youth Opinion In The Arab World

Rabi' al-thani 06, 1444 2022-11-01.

Baby-faced al-Jubeir to get the boot as Saudi foreign minister?

Crescent international, dhu al-hijjah 03, 1438 2017-08-25.

Bedouins at war!

Zafar bangash, shawwal 07, 1438 2017-07-01.

Yemen ceasefire: What Chance for Peace?

Brecht jonkers, jumada' al-ula' 26, 1440 2019-02-01, other links.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

Write to us