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Click here to learn more about Newton's Third Law

Purpose: To demonstrate the effects of Newton's Third Law of Motion.

Materials:   Two skateboards
                    Rope
                    Meter stick

Procedure: Have two students stand on skateboards about three meters apart.  Mark their positions.  Have each student hold an end of a rope.  At the same time, they should both pull the rope slowly and steadily.  Then, tell the students to return to their original positions.  This time, have just one student pull on the rope while the other firmly holds on to it.  Even though only one student is pulling the rope, both students are being moved towards each other.  In other words, the student pulling the rope was actually pulling against the other student.

   

Analysis:

1.     How does this lab relate to Newton’s Third Law of Motion?

2.     What was the action force and what was the reaction force?

3.    Can this lab be applied to Newton’s Second Law of Motion?

 

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This Page was last edited on Thursday, July 27, 2000 .

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