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Newton's third law

American  

noun

  1. Mechanics. one of the three fundamental laws of motion, which states that for every force or action there is an equal and opposite reaction.


Example Sentences

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For more than 300 years, Newton's third law has been one of the foundations of classical physics.

From Science Daily Jun. 16, 2026

That behavior appears to conflict with Newton's third law, the famous action and reaction principle often summarized as "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

From Science Daily Jun. 16, 2026

The physics of international politics sometimes tidily illustrate Newton’s third law of motion: When two bodies interact, their forces on each other are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

From Washington Post Mar. 2, 2022

Newton’s third law has practical uses in analyzing the origin of forces and understanding which forces are external to a system.

From Textbooks Aug. 12, 2015

Although he hadn’t found a rocket book, Quentin had finally found the physics book he’d read in the library in Welch that defined Newton’s third law of action and reaction.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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