A swimmer pushes back on the water and moves forward demonstrates which law?

A swimmer pushes back on the water and moves forward demonstrates which law?

• A. Law of Universal Gravitation
• B. The Law of Inertia
• C. Newton's Third Law of Motion
• D. Newton's Second Law of Motion

Answer: (C)

Action-reaction forces explain propulsion: when the swimmer pushes water backward, the water pushes the swimmer forward with an equal and opposite force. These forces act on two interacting bodies and occur at the same time, causing the swimmer to move forward. This is Newton's Third Law of Motion. The law of universal gravitation deals with attraction between masses and isn’t about propulsion in a fluid. Inertia describes an object's resistance to changes in motion, not the source of the forward push. Newton's Second Law ties net force to acceleration but doesn’t emphasize the pair of forces between swimmer and water that produce motion. So, this illustrates that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Action-reaction forces explain propulsion: when the swimmer pushes water backward, the water pushes the swimmer forward with an equal and opposite force. These forces act on two interacting bodies and occur at the same time, causing the swimmer to move forward. This is Newton's Third Law of Motion. The law of universal gravitation deals with attraction between masses and isn’t about propulsion in a fluid. Inertia describes an object's resistance to changes in motion, not the source of the forward push. Newton's Second Law ties net force to acceleration but doesn’t emphasize the pair of forces between swimmer and water that produce motion. So, this illustrates that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.