written by
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
This is a lesson plan for teaching Newton's Third Law within the context NASA's Swift satellite. Students warm up with a reading excerpt that explains thrust, the force that moves the rocket through space. Newton's Third Law comes into play as students conduct an experiment to propel a balloon along a fishing line. They must consider what force (or forces) act to counter thrust. Resource includes lesson, detailed lab procedures, Student Handout, data table, pre/post discussion questions, and answer key. Can be viewed in html or downloaded as a printable pdf document.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/introphys/items/detail.cfm?ID=1869">National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion. June 20, 2010.</a>
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion (2006), <https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html>.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2010, June 20). Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion. Retrieved November 11, 2025, from https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion. June 20, 2010. https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html (accessed 11 November 2025).
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion. 2006. 20 June 2010. 11 Nov. 2025 <https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html>.
@misc{
Author = "National Aeronautics and Space Administration",
Title = {Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {11 November 2025},
Month = {June 20, 2010},
Year = {2006}
}
%Q National Aeronautics and Space Administration %T Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion %D June 20, 2010 %U https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html %O text/html
%0 Electronic Source %A National Aeronautics and Space Administration, %D June 20, 2010 %T Goddard Space Flight Center: Newton's Third Law of Motion %V 2025 %N 11 November 2025 %8 June 20, 2010 %9 text/html %U https://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/index.html
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