A sailboat enthusiast has mounted a battery-operated fan on his boat to provide an air current for the sail. If the fan is pushing the air toward the right, straight on the sail,
A) the boat moves in the same direction as the air pushed by the fan.
B) the boat does not move.
C) the boat moves in the direction opposite to the air pushed by the fan.
D) more information is needed to work out the answer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The boat does not move because the action of the fan pushing air forward (toward the sail) is counteracted by an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's third law) on the boat itself, essentially canceling out any net movement. This creates a closed system where the forces internal to the system (the fan's force on the air and the air's force on the sail) do not result in movement of the system as a whole.

A Sailboat Enthusiast Has Mounted a Battery-Operated Fan on His