"For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action."
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Newton's Third Law of Motion in general states that with every action, another action of opposite and equal magnitude is simultaneously happening. Similarly to laws one and two, law three can also be applied to a shot in soccer.
Often times during a shot, the ball will not travel completely in the air or on the ground. Instead it bounces on the ground. This is known as a "bouncing ball." When this occurs, the goalkeeper trying to defend the shot must anticipate the direction of the bounces in order to prevent letting up a goal. This understanding of the way a ball will bounce can be understood based on the principles of Newton's Third Law.
This law would explain that in the case of a bouncing ball, both the ball and the field are feeling equal forces from the other object. The ball experiences the force of the ground pushing up. Similarly, the field experiences the equal force of the ball pushing down. The only difference between the two forces is their direction.
Often times during a shot, the ball will not travel completely in the air or on the ground. Instead it bounces on the ground. This is known as a "bouncing ball." When this occurs, the goalkeeper trying to defend the shot must anticipate the direction of the bounces in order to prevent letting up a goal. This understanding of the way a ball will bounce can be understood based on the principles of Newton's Third Law.
This law would explain that in the case of a bouncing ball, both the ball and the field are feeling equal forces from the other object. The ball experiences the force of the ground pushing up. Similarly, the field experiences the equal force of the ball pushing down. The only difference between the two forces is their direction.
Force Diagram
The image to the left depicts the concept above in a force diagram.
In the case of the BALL: The only force acting on it is the Force of the Ground in the positive Y direction. In the case of the FIELD: The only force acting on it is the Force of the Ball in the negative Y direction. The net force makes the ball travel by bouncing off the ground into the positive Y direction even though they exert that same force. This is because the ball has a much smaller mass than the ground. |