The Law of Action and Reaction: Newton's Third Law
A test pilot sits in the bay of a jet engine

The information in this video was accurate as of the original publication date.

Audience: Educators and Students
Grades: 9-12


This NASA video segment explores how Newton's third law of motion applies to aerospace. An instructor at NASA's National Test Pilot School defines the third law and explains how a jet engine works to move an aircraft forward. There is also a discussion about the four forces involved in flying an aircraft.

The Law of Action and Reaction: Newton's Third Law
Duration: 3 minutes
> View QuickTime [10MB]


This video clip is part of the Flight Testing Newton's Laws DVD that may be ordered from the Central Operation of Resources for Educators, or CORE  →.


Other video learning clips in this series:
Introduction to Newton's Three Laws, Lesson 1
The Law of Inertia: Newton's First Law
Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration: Newton's Second Law
Weight and Balance, Lesson 2
Lift and Rate of Change of Momentum, Lesson 3
Drag, Lesson 4
Thrust, Lesson 5
Take Off, Lesson 6
Climb and Descent, Lesson 7
Cruise, Lesson 8
The Landing, Lesson 9
The Landing: Approach
The Landing: Flare
The Landing: Rollout
The Landing: Summary