Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
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.
Related terms
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.