# flashlights and space ships

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashlights-and-space-ships/3085>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 1999, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashlights-and-space-ships/3085 "1999-09-06T21:17:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![eggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@eggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eggo)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 1999, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashlights-and-space-ships/3085/1 "1999-09-06T21:17:00Z")

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newton said that for every action there is an equal but oposite reaction. so why is it that when i turn on my flashlight, and photons go streaming out one end at an alarming rate, that i don’t get thrown against (through?) the wall? is it the friction between me and the floor? if i powered a space ship with a realy big flashlight, why wouldn’t it go realy, realy fast?

eggo

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