Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts an equal but opposite force on the first object.
Imagine two people standing on skateboards facing each other. When one person pushes the other, they both move backward due to the equal and opposite forces.
Force: A push or pull that can cause an object to accelerate.
Action-Reaction Pair: The pair of forces that two objects exert on each other as a result of their interaction.
Equilibrium: A state in which all forces acting on an object are balanced, resulting in no net force and no acceleration.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.