Introduction

Even when we walk, we exert the force on the ground and according to Newton's Third law of motion, the ground exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Thus, third law is Tit for Tat!

Pre-Requisites:

Newton's First Law, Newton's Second law, Forces, Equations of motion

Activity:

Attach a spring balace to a wall (so that it is parallel to the floor). Now attach a mass to the hook of the spring balance. On the other side attach another spring balance and pull it. You will notice that the further you pull the higher is the reading and the reading of both balances are the same. This means Newton's Third Law is obeyed.

Real Life Question:

John Massis managed to move 2 passenger cars (Railway cars), weighing 80 tons by clamping his teeth down a bit that was attached to the cars with a rope, then leaning backward while pressing his feet against the railway ties. How could he possibly do that?

Key Words / FlashCards

Learning aids / Gadgets

Real life uses :

Rocket Propulsion, Jet propulsion, Many mechanical and aerodynamic applications involves the use of Newton's 3rd law

Places to visit :

Children's Science Museum

Practical examples around us

What you learn in Theory:

The conceptual understanding of Newton's Third Law

What you learn in Practice:

Understand the meaning of the third law and apply it to different scenarios and understand many applications like that of jet and rocket propulsion which are based on Newton's 3rd law.