newton's third law of motion
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A student demonstrates Newton's third law of motion by pushing against a wall.
Definition
- Noun:
- Newton's third law of motion: A fundamental principle of classical mechanics formulated by Sir Isaac Newton. It states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first object.
Usage
- Noun: The term is used as a singular, proper noun phrase to describe this specific physical law. It is often cited in physics to explain interactions between two bodies.
- The principle is formally known as Newton's third law of motion.
- To understand how rockets work, you must apply Newton's third law of motion.
Examples
- Noun:
- When you push against a wall, the wall pushes back on you with an equal force; this is a demonstration of Newton's third law of motion.
- The textbook chapter explains Newton's third law of motion in detail with several practical examples.
- A common paraphrase of Newton's third law of motion is: "To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction."
Advanced Usage
- "To obey/violate Newton's third law of motion": Used to describe whether a system or a described interaction is consistent with this fundamental law.
- Any conceivable propulsion system must obey Newton's third law of motion.
- The law is often a foundational concept in analyzing force pairs or action-reaction pairs.
Variants and Related Words
- Third law of motion: A common shortened form.
- Law of action and reaction: A descriptive synonym.
- Newton's third law: The most frequent abbreviated form in technical and casual discourse.
- Action-reaction principle: A descriptive phrase explaining the law's core idea.
Synonyms
- Law of action and reaction: A direct synonym describing the equal and opposite forces.
- Action-reaction law: Another descriptive synonym.
Related Phrases
- Action-reaction pair: Refers to the two forces described by the law.
- Identify the action-reaction pair when a hammer hits a nail.
- Equal and opposite: A key phrase from the law's common statement.
- The forces are equal and opposite, as per Newton's third law.
A student demonstrates Newton's third law of motion by pushing against a wall.
Noun
- action and reaction are equal and opposite