What is Newton's Third Law and what is an example of it?

Newton's Third Law looks at what happens when two objects interact with each other. The definition of Newton's Third Law is, "When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body." Explained simply: When one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object is also exerting a force on the first object at the same time. This force will be the same size but in the opposite direction. An example of this is when you push on the wall. As you push on the wall, you will feel your hands squash slightly meaning you feel a force. This is because the wall is also pushing on you at the same time. So Newton's third law explains why we feel objects when we touch them or why objects can change direction when they hit an obstacle.

MO
Answered by Maxwell O. Physics tutor

6007 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Explain the difference between forced vibration and resonance in an oscillating object.


Explain the Doppler Shift Effect, and how it can be used to measure blood flow in the body.


A pellet of mass 8.8 g embeds itself in a wooden block of 450 g which is suspended by a light in-extensible string. After the collision the block reaches a max height of 0.63 m. Calculate the initial velocity of the pellet.


Draw and describe the major points of a typical stress-strain graph for a metal.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning