Newton's Third Law: Action & Reaction StudyJam

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

8

Overview

Energy does not change, and that means it is constant. When one object applies force to another, the energy becomes an equal and opposite reaction.

The classroom resource provides a video that will explain Newton's Third Law of Motion. This resource can provide background information for students before they conduct their own demonstrations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.10

Use Newton’s third law to design a model to demonstrate and explain the resulting motion of two colliding objects (e.g., two cars bumping into each other, a hammer hitting a nail).*

UP:SC15.8.10

Vocabulary

  • Sir Isaac Newton
  • Newton's Third Law of
  • Motion
  • Force
  • Model
  • Mass
  • Speed
  • Velocity
  • Action
  • Reaction

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Whenever two objects interact with each other, they exert forces upon each other.
  • These forces are called action and reaction forces; forces always come in pairs.
  • For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
  • The size of the force on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object.
  • The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object.
  • The momentum of an object increases if either the mass or the speed of the object increases or if both increases.
  • The momentum of an object decreases if either the mass or the speed of the object decreases or if both decrease.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Develop a model that demonstrates Newton's third law and identify the relevant components.
  • Describe the relationships between components of the model.
  • Use observations from the model to provide causal accounts for events and make predictions for events by constructing explanations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Newton's Third Law states that for any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models

CR Resource Type

Audio/Video

Resource Provider

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/

License Type

Custom
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