Newton’s Third Law of Motion

For every action force, there is a simultaneous reaction force that is equal in magnitude, but opposite in
direction.

1.Identify and state the action and reaction forces in each of the diagrams below.

Action: man 1 pushes on knee of man 2. Reaction Man 1 pushes forward on the ground, the ground
knee of man 2 pushes on feet of man 1, in the pushes backward on man 1. Man 1 pulls backward
opposite direction and with the same magnitude. on the rope; the rope pulls forward on man 1.
(Similar description for man2.)

2. Explain each event in terms of Newton’s third law. Sample answers are provided.

(a) A swimmer moves through the water.

The swimmer’s arms and legs exert an action force backwards on the water, causing the water to
accelerate backwards. According to Newton’s third law, the water exerts an equal but opposite force
forward on the swimmer, propelling the swimmer forward through the water.

(b) A small balloon releases air and flies around the classroom.

As the rubber in the balloon contracts, it forces air out the back of the balloon (action force). According to
Newton’s third law, the air exerts an equal force forward (the reaction force) pushing the balloon, which
accelerates the balloon forward.

(c) You start walking across the floor.

Your foot applies a force at an angle on the floor. This force has a vertical component down, and a
horizontal component backward. The ground exerts a normal force upwards as a reaction to the vertical
component down. force on the floor. According to Newton’s third law, the reaction force to the horizontal
backward action exerted by your shoes is caused by friction which opposes this motion and applies a
forward force accelerating your foot forward. Friction causes you to accelerate forward.

3. Explain each event in terms of Newton’s third law.

(a) A rocket can accelerate in outer space.
(b) A motorboat accelerates east in the water.
(c) Football player 1 tackles football player 2.

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4. Given the action force, describe the reaction force for each situation.
(a) You push forward on a book with 5.2 N.
(b) A boat exerts a force of 450 N [W] on the water.
(c) A hockey player hits the boards with a force of 180 N [toward the boards].

The book pushes backward on The water exerts a force of 450 The board exerts a force of 180
you with a force of 5.2 N N [E] on the boat N on the hockey player away
from the board.

5. A horse is tethered to a cart to pull it forward. A student claims, “According to Newton’s third law,
when the horse pulls forward on the cart, the cart will also pull backwards
on the horse. The two objects are attached together, so they cannot accelerate.” Discuss the validity of this
statement.

Action and reaction are equal and opposite forces, but they act on different objects. The pull the horse
exerts on the cart, acts only on the cart. The cart experiences a force forward as a result. The cart will
exert a force backward on the horse, which is the reaction. Only forces being exerted on an object can
change its motion, not forces the object is exerting. If friction is ignored each object has a single force
acting on it, which will cause that object to accelerate.

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6. Two skaters are standing on ice facing each other. Skater 1 pushes on skater 2 with a force of 70 N [E].
Assume that no friction acts on either skater. The mass of skater 1 is 50 kg and the mass of skater 2 is 70
kg.
(a) State the action and reaction forces.
(b) Draw the FBD of each skater.
(c) Describe what will happen to each skater.
(d) Calculate the acceleration of each skater.

Photo ❑
❑

Action: push of skater 1 on 2, 70 N[E]

Reaction push from skater 2 on skater 1 70 N
[W]

F12 is the force that skater 1, the female, is

exerting on skater 2, the male. F12=70 N[E]
F21 is the reaction force that the body of the
male exerts on the female. F21=70 N [W]
F net
⃗
Skate 1 will accelerate west, because the net a⃗ =
m
force on her is in that direction, based on Skater 1
Newtons first law. Skater 2 will accelerate 70 N [W ]
east. The magnitude of their acceleration a⃗ = =1.4 N /kg [W ]
depends on their mass based on Newton’s 50 kg
second law.
Skater 2
70 N [E]
a⃗ = =1.0 N /kg[ E]
70 kg

Skater 1 accelerates 1.4 m/s2 [W] and 22skater 2

accelerates 1.0 m/s2 [E]

7. A student stands on a skateboard and pushes on a wall with a force of 87 N [S]. The total mass of the
student and the skateboard is 58 kg.
(a) Calculate the acceleration of the student. [ans: 1.5 m/s 2 [N]]
(b) Explain why the wall does not move.

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8. A toy car (200 g) moves by shooting a plastic ball (50 g) horizontally out the back. The average
acceleration of the car is 1.2 m/s2 [E] and there is negligible friction acting on
each part of the toy.
(a) Draw an FBD for each object.
(b) Identify the action and reaction forces on each part of the toy.

9. Two figure skaters are moving east together during a performance. Skater 1 (78 kg) is behind skater 2
(56 kg) when skater 2 pushes on skater 1 with a force of 64 N [W]. Assume that no friction acts on either
skater.
(a) Determine the acceleration of each skater.
(b) What will happen to the motion of each skater? Explain your reasoning.

10. A male astronaut (82 kg) and a female astronaut (64 kg) are floating side by side in space.
(a) Determine the acceleration of each astronaut if the woman pushes on the man with a force of 16 N
[left].
(b) How will your answers change if the man pushes with 16 N [right] on the woman instead?
(c) How will your answers change if they both reach out and push on each other’s shoulders with a force
of 16 N?