Newton's Third Law
Recommended for grades 11–14.
Introduction
In your discussion of the force concept you may have heard that a force is a push or pull exerted by one object on another. You may also have heard a popular expression of Newton’s third law: “For every action, there is an equal, but opposite reaction.” Unfortunately, this expression leads to some naïve conceptions about forces. Unlike Newton’s first two laws, which deal with the effects of forces on a single object, the third law describes the interaction between two objects. In this experiment, you will examine this interaction in a variety of situations so that you might develop a better understanding of the forces involved when two objects interact.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Observe the magnitude and direction of forces exerted by interacting objects.
- Observe the time variation of these forces.
- Develop a more robust expression of Newton’s third law.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
No standards correlations for this experiment.
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.