Lesson 3 of 84 · Motion and Forces
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabNewton's Third Law: Action and Reaction
Motion and Forces.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
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
- friction
- inertia
- momentum
Materials Needed
- tape
- ruler
- cardboard
Safety First
- Protect your work surface with newspaper or plastic.
- Adult supervision recommended.
- Do not taste any materials.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Build an electromagnet by wrapping insulated wire around a nail and connecting it to a battery. Test how many paper clips it can pick up. Try adding more wire coils.
Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.
Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is gravity?
Where you see this in real life
You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.
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 this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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.