Newton's Third Law Calculator

Have you ever pushed open a door and felt it push back? That's Newton's third law of motion. This elemental principle explains how every force in the universe has an equal and opposite reaction. But what does Newton's third law truly state, and how does it impact everything from walking to rocket launches?

We will answer all your questions with Omni Calculator's Newton's third law calculator and more. Whether you're curious about the formula for Newton's third law, the reaction force, or even the significance of Newton's third law, we have got your back. This article will explain how this concept shapes our world in fascinating ways.

The third law of motion states:

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Newton's third law of motion equation looks like this:

$F_\text{action} = - F_\text{reaction}$

where:

• $F_\text{action}$ — Action force exerted by the first body; and
• $F_\text{reaction}$ — Reaction force exerted by the second body in response.

The law implies that forces always come in pairs. Whenever an object applies a force on another object, the second object applies a force of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction back on the first object.

Let's think of a fundamental example of Newton's third law. When you push a wall, the wall doesn't move, but it actually exerts an equal force on you. If it didn't, you would fall through it. This law is crucial in understanding how objects interact with one another 🌌.

Do check out Newton's law of cooling calculator to understand the rate of temperature change in different conditions.

Let's examine how Newton's third law calculator makes it simple and straightforward to determine the components of force and the reaction force.

You have two options here; in the first section, you may explore and determine the components of force.

1. Input the mass of the first object. You also have a list of units to choose from.

2. Next, enter the acceleration of the first object. The default unit is meters per second squared. But you may choose from the list of options based on your need.

3. Lastly, you may input the mass of the second object.

4. The Newton's third law calculator will immediately determine the acceleration of the second object.

5. You can determine any of the components by entering the values for any of the other three. Remember that if you enter two accelerations, they should be in opposite directions (e.g., one positive and the other negative).

For the second option, expand the "action and reaction forces" section to equate the forces. You may input the action force, and the tool will immediately output the reaction force. But if you have calculated one of the components above, these forces will be automatically calculated.

Imagine your teacher decides to test you with a surprise quiz. The question requires you to determine the acceleration of an object based on the acceleration of another object using Newton's third law of motion. You might remember the generalized form:

$F_\text{action} = - F_\text{reaction}$

But you might need a detailed version to get to the desired answer.

Here is Newton's third law of motion equation after substituting values of force using the second law of motion, i.e., $\text {F = ma}$:

$m_1 \times a_1 = - (m_2 \times a_2)$

where:

• $m_1$ — Mass of the first object, applying the force;
• $a_1$ — Acceleration of the first object, applying the force;
• $m_2$ — Mass of the second object, experiencing the return force; and
• $a_2$ — Acceleration of the second object; experiencing the return force.

Now, let's dive into an example of Newton's third law applied to two boxes colliding.

Imagine box A, with a mass of 90 kg, sliding right on a frictionless surface at 20 m/s². Another box B, with a mass of 30 kg, moves left on the same surface. What was the acceleration of box B before the collision?

So, place the values in the formula:

$90 \times 20 = - (30 \times a_2)$

$180 = - (30 \times a_2)$

$180 / 30 = - a_2$

$60 = - a_2$

$a_2 = - 60 \text{ m/s²}$

The action and reaction forces are balanced after the collision.

Might we suggest checking out our Newton's second law calculator to explore how force, mass, and acceleration relate?

Newton's third law of motion is not just a simple observation; it's a profound insight into the nature of forces and interactions. Its significance extends to explaining natural phenomena, achieving equilibrium, machinery operations, active sports, and basic daily life tasks.

• Walking: When you take a step, your foot pushes backward against the ground (action), and the ground responds by moving your foot forward (reaction). As a result of this equal and opposite force, walking becomes effortless 🚶‍♂️.

• Rocket launches: In aerospace engineering, Newton's third law of motion is the backbone of space travel. A rocket expels gas particles downward at high speed (action) and moves upward with equal force (reaction), allowing it to escape Earth's gravity 🚀.

• Machinery operations: Consider gears in a machine. An action occurs when one gear drives another, and the driven gear responds with an equal reaction force. This balance of forces ensures smooth operation, whether in a watch or a factory conveyor belt ⚙️.

• Balancing forces in mechanical systems: In robotics, understanding equilibrium is key to smooth movements. Newton's third law ensures precision by counteracting every action that may cause the robot to topple or malfunction if forces are unbalanced 🦾.

• Tectonic movements: The shifting of Earth's tectonic plates is another mighty example. When one plate pushes against the other (action), the other plate resists with equal force (reaction) until the plate breaks and buckles, leading to earthquakes and mountain formation 🏔️.

• Swimming: Swimmers move by pushing water backward with their hands and feet (action), and the water pushes them forward (reaction), propelling them through the pool 🏊‍♀️.

Sir Isaac Newton, born on January 4, 1643, in Woolsthorpe, England, is one of history's most influential scientists. His work laid the foundation for classical mechanics, optics, and calculus. His most famous work, "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica," published in 1687, introduced Newton's laws of motion, including the formula for Newton's third law. These laws revolutionized how we understand the physical world and formed the basis for much modern science and engineering.

To reach these astonishing discoveries, Newton combined rigorous experimentation, deep mathematical insight, and a relentless curiosity about nature. In addition to making significant contributions to physics, he also contributed significantly to mathematics, especially in the development of calculus and optics.

The unit newton was named after Sir Isaac Newton, and we think it would be a nice idea for you to explore our newton meter calculator to convert between different units of energy.