This student-driven activity covers NGSS MS-PS2-1 - Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects. 

The emphasis is on examples of practical problems including the collisions between moving and stationary objects.

✅ Focused on Newton’s Third Law of Motion (action–reaction)

✅ Student-driven activity with real-life collision examples

✅ Includes worksheet in Word, PDF, and Google Docs formats

✅ Aligned to NGSS MS-PS2-1 with practical applications

The resource is limited to vertical or horizontal interactions in one dimension.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Newton's Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction but what does that mean? It means that if you push against a wall, the wall pushes back. If you kick a soccer ball, the ball pushes back on your foot which is why you feel it. We can walk because when we push down and backwards on the ground, it pushes up and forward on us, pushing us forward.

However, we do not need to push against something for there to be an equal force in the opposite direction. Think about a rocket flying in space. Once it is in space, there is no air to push against so how do the engines make it go faster? The rocket goes faster simply by pushing in the opposite direction. When it pushes fuel out to the left, it flies to the right.

Using the description provided in the activity and hints given, students are to answer practical questions about their daily lives that utilize Newton's Third Law. They then receive hints in order to improve their answers.

Your resource includes a Word, PDF, and Google Docs version of the worksheet.

This student-led lab can be found within my Newton's Laws of Motion Middle School Unit Bundle.