How does air push an airboat forward?

Question

Multiple choice question.

The airboat pushes the air backward, and the air exerts an opposing force forward on the airboat.

As air moves around the airboat, air resistance exerts a forward force on the airboat.

The air pushed backward by the boat exerts a balanced force on the airboat.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

The airboat pushes the air backward, and the air exerts an opposing force forward on the airboat.

This statement reflects Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the airboat's propeller pushes air backward, the reaction is that the air pushes the airboat forward.