TEKS 8.6C investigate and describe applications of Newton’s law of inertia, law of force and acceleration, and law of action-reaction such as
in vehicle restraints, sports activities, amusement park rides, Earth’s tectonic activities, and rocket launches
Newton’s Third Law Notes
For every action there an opposite, but equal reaction…
 Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an opposite, but equal
reaction.
 This means that when you push on an object, it pushes back on you with equal
force.
 Observe the person pushing the ball in the picture. The person is pushing on the
ball, but the ball is pushing back on the person. The reaction is NOT the ball
moving forward. (The ball moving forward is cause and effect.)
action:
person pushing ball
reaction:
ball pushes back on person
See if you can identify the opposite reaction in each of the pictures! Draw arrows
to show the direction of the action and opposite reaction.
Fist hits wall.
a. wall hits fist
Boy kicks ball.
d. ball kicks boy
Head bumps ball.
b. ball bumps head
Athlete pushes bar up.
e. bar pushes down on athlete
Windshield hits bug.
Finger touches nose.
g. bug hits windshield
h. nose touches finger
Hand touches globe.
c. globe touches hand
Ball hits bat.
f. bat hits ball
Draw your own action and
opposite reaction pair.
TEKS 8.6C investigate and describe applications of Newton’s law of inertia, law of force and acceleration, and law of action-reaction such as
in vehicle restraints, sports activities, amusement park rides, Earth’s tectonic activities, and rocket launches
Newton’s Third Law Notes
For every action there is an opposite, but equal reaction…
 Newton’s third law states that for every _______________ there is an
__________________, but equal _______________.
 This means that when you push on an object, it _________________________
on you with _________________________.
 Observe the person pushing the ball in the picture. The person is
pushing on the ball, but the ball is ______________________ on the
person. The reaction is NOT the ball _____________
________________. (The ball moving forward is cause and effect.)
action:
person pushing ball
reaction:
ball _______________________ on person
See if you can identify the opposite reaction in each of the pictures! Draw arrows
to show the direction of the action and opposite reaction.
a__________________________
Boy kicks ball.
d__________________________
Hand touches globe.
Head bumps ball.
Fist hits wall.
b___________________________
c__________________________
Athlete pushes bar up.
e_____________________________
Ball hits bat.
f____________________________
Windshield hits bug.
Finger touches nose.
g________________________________
h___________________________
Draw your own action and
opposite reaction pair.