The Magnus Effect

The Magnus effect happens to a spinning object that drags air faster on one side, which causes the object to move in the direction of the lower-pressure side.

Here’s a video showing the Magnus effect in action:

Newton’s third law helps to prove the Magnus effect because the object pushes the air in one direction and the air pushes the body in the other direction, an action-reaction force. With a ball spinning through the air, some of the air spins around the ball with it. The side of the ball traveling into the air slows down the airflow, while the other side of the ball increases the airflow. A greater pressure on the side of the ball with the slow air pressure causes the ball to move in the opposite direction – toward the lower pressure.