Question 7 — A sailor jumps out from - Questions at the end of the chapter - Chapter 6 - How Forces Affect Motion (Exploration)

Last updated at July 16, 2026 by

A sailor jumps out from a small boat to the shore (Fig. 6.38). As the sailor jumps forward, will the boat move? If yes, in which direction and why.
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Yes, the boat moves backwards (away from the shore). As the sailor pushes the boat backward to jump forward, by Newton's third law the boat pushes the sailor forward and the sailor pushes the boat back, so the boat moves in the opposite direction to the jump.

The sailor and the boat — third law
The sailor pushes on the boat
to jump forward, the feet push the boat backwards
↓
The boat pushes back on the sailor
an equal and opposite force sends the sailor forward
↓
The two forces act on different objects
so they do not cancel
↓
Yes — the boat moves backwards , away from the shore
← Back to: 6.6 Newton's Third Law of Motion
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