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Lesson 2 of 7 · Motion and Forces

Experiment30 XP Spark Lab

Newton's Third Law: Action and Reaction

🧪Lab Brief #2

Motion and Forces.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

What You'll Learn

Newton's third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you push against a wall, the wall pushes back on you with the same force.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

  • weights
  • spring scale

Safety First

  • Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Steps

Step 1Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2Do

Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.

Step 3Observe

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What does Newton's third law state?

🌍

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🔬Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

Ready?

Newton's Third Law: Action and Reaction

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

Full screen — no distractions

🖨️

Checkout complete lesson on Motion and Forces for 8th Grade

Get the full Motion and Forces track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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Newton's Third Law: Action and Reaction — Motion and Forces | 8th Grade Science | LittleActivity