Newton's Third Law Of Motion (Noun)
Meaning
Action and reaction are equal and opposite.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- When you throw a ball at a wall, the ball exerts a force on the wall and the wall exerts an equal and opposite force on the ball, illustrating Newton's third law of motion.
- The recoil of a gun is a direct result of Newton's third law of motion, where the forward motion of the bullet is met with an equal and opposite reaction force.
- In a game of tug-of-war, both teams are applying forces to the rope, but according to Newton's third law of motion, the rope is also applying an equal and opposite force to each team.
- When you push on a wall, you are exerting a force on the wall, and according to Newton's third law of motion, the wall is exerting an equal and opposite force on you.
- The thrust of a rocket engine is a perfect example of Newton's third law of motion, where the hot gases expelled out of the back of the rocket result in an equal and opposite reaction force propelling the rocket forward.