What does Newton's Third Law of Motion state about action and reaction?

Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on the first object. This principle helps to explain a wide range of physical phenomena, from the way objects move to the interactions between different bodies.

For instance, when a rocket propels itself forward by expelling gas downward, the action of the gas moving downward creates an opposite reaction that pushes the rocket upward. This law emphasizes the symmetry in forces and illustrates how interactions occur in pairs, leading to balanced reactions that maintain the conservation of momentum in systems.

Understanding this law is crucial for analyzing situations involving forces, as it underpins the behavior of objects in motion and is foundational in fields like engineering, physics, and mechanics.