Question

A picture of a person standing backwards on the end of a diving board. The person's knees are bent and the board is bending down.
Consider the diver and the diving board.

Which object exerts the action force?


Which object exerts the reaction force?


In what direction does the action force push?


In what direction does the reaction force push?

Answer 1

By Newton’s 3rd law the diver and board exert equal and opposite forces on each other.

- Action force: the diver on the board (the diver pushes down on the board with their feet).
- Reaction force: the board on the diver (the board pushes up on the diver).
- Direction of the action force: downward (onto the board).
- Direction of the reaction force: upward (on the diver).