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published by
the The Physics Classroom
written by
Tom Henderson
This interactive tutorial from The Physics Classroom offers a detailed exploration of Newton's Third Law of Motion. The two-part resource also provides an in-depth look at action-reaction force pairs, with illustrations and example exercises. Links are provided to tutorials on Newton's other laws of motion.
For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton's third law). (6-8)
AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)
4. The Physical Setting
4F. Motion
9-12: 4F/H4. Whenever one thing exerts a force on another, an equal amount of force is exerted back on it.
<a href="https://psrc.aapt.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=8602">Henderson, Tom. The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law. The Physics Classroom, November 13, 2014.</a>
T. Henderson, The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law (The Physics Classroom, 2002), <https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law>.
Henderson, T. (2014, November 13). The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from The Physics Classroom: https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law
Henderson, Tom. The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law. The Physics Classroom, November 13, 2014. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law (accessed 13 August 2026).
Henderson, Tom. The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law. The Physics Classroom, 2002. 13 Nov. 2014. 13 Aug. 2026 <https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law>.
%A Tom Henderson %T The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law %D November 13, 2014 %I The Physics Classroom %U https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law %O text/html
%0 Electronic Source %A Henderson, Tom %D November 13, 2014 %T The Physics Classroom: Newton's Third Law %I The Physics Classroom %V 2026 %N 13 August 2026 %8 November 13, 2014 %9 text/html %U https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law
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