Question

Why does a fireperson sometimes struggle when holding the pipe issuing water?

Answer 1

A fireperson may find it difficult to hold a hose carrying high-pressure water due to Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

As water is expelled forward from the pipe with a strong force, it exerts an equal and opposite force on the pipe in the backward direction. This backward reaction force causes the pipe to recoil, so the fireperson must apply a large force to keep it steady.