The best explanation for why the pea bounced off the paper towel is:
A. When the pea hit the paper towel, the paper towel applied an equal but opposite force on the pea.
This explanation is aligned with Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the pea strikes the paper towel, the towel exerts an upward force on the pea that is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force exerted by the pea on the towel. As a result, the pea bounces back after the collision.