Question

A boy jumps on his bed. When his feet push the bed down, what is the reaction force?

A. His gravity pulls up on the bed.
B. His gravity pulls up on Earth.
C. The bed pushes his feet up.
D. The bed pushes down on the ground.

Answer 1

What happens when you jump on a bed?
You go down into the mattress, then what?

Answer 2

You go back up?

Answer 3

C.

Answer 4

Remember: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Answer 5

Newton's 3rd Law - For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The boy pushes down on the bed, the bed pushes back against the boy: C.

Answer 6

Sorry for the late response. Yes, you go back up! That's why jumping on the bed is fun!

The reason you go back up is because the bed is forcing you back upward, after you pushed down onto the bed. The bed will push back up onto you with the same force, springing you into the air.