The Third Law of Motion

"The third law of motion, which I have discovered, says: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If you push with your finger against a stone, gentlemen, then the stone pushes back with an equal force against your finger," said Newton.

This law can be observed in many everyday situations. For example, have you ever tried to jump from the side of a rowing-boat onto the land? Before you can jump, you must push the boat backwards with your feet. According to Newton's third law, the force you apply to the boat is met with an equal force pushing you forward. That is why you move toward the land while the boat moves backward.

Another example is when you swim in a pool. You push the water backward with your hands and feet, and the water pushes you forward, allowing you to move through the water. Similarly, when birds flap their wings downward, the air pushes them upward, helping them to fly.

Newton's third law explains not only how we move, but also how rockets launch into space. The engines push gas downwards, and the gas pushes the rocket upward with an equal force. This simple idea helps us understand the movement of everything, from small objects on Earth to spacecraft in outer space.