Question

1. a bird pushes down on the air with its wings as it flies through the air. the air pushes back on the bird helping to keep it aloft. which of newtons laws explains this?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's laws

Newton's first law: An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a net external force.
Newton's second law: \(F = ma\) (force equals mass times acceleration).
Newton's third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Step2: Analyze the bird - air interaction

The bird pushing down on the air (action) and the air pushing back on the bird (reaction) is a case of action - reaction pairs.

Answer:

Newton's third law.