MidLitSci
Newton's Third Law: Action–Reaction

Newton's Third Law in Action

According to Newton's third law, a strong or weak push or pull on an object (the action) is met with an equally strong or weak push or pull (the reaction).

Here are some other common examples that show Newton's third law in action. The images at left may help make the idea more clear.

  • A bird can fly because as its wings push against the air, the air pushes back against its wings.
  • When a baseball bat strikes a baseball, the baseball hits back. The batter may feel a sting from the reaction force running through his or her hands.
  • As the weight of a roadway on a suspension bridge pulls down on the vertical (up-and-down) cables, the cables pull back, providing the support it needs. In fact, if the cables pulled back with any less force, the roadway would fall!

Write down two or three other examples of Newton's third law of motion here.