The third law of motion, also known as Newton's third law or the law of action and reaction, is a fundamental principle in physics proposed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century. It states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In simpler terms, this law explains how forces interact between two objects.
According to this law, when one object exerts a force upon a second object, the second object will exert an equal and opposite force back onto the first object. The forces are always of the same type, but they act on different objects. For instance, if an individual pushes a wall, the wall pushes back with an equal amount of force.
This law ensures that forces always come in pairs and that no single force can exist without a corresponding force acting on another object. It means that forces cannot be isolated and that they are always reciprocal. These paired forces act on different objects and have the same magnitude, but they act in opposite directions.
Understanding Newton's third law helps explain phenomena such as why we are pushed backward when a gun recoils, why a swimmer moves forward by pushing water backward, and why a moving vehicle slows down when tires interact with the road.
Overall, Newton's third law of motion provides a fundamental insight into the relationship between forces and motion, highlighting the equal and opposite nature of force interactions between objects.
