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Simply so, what forces act on a hovercraft?

Students should label a diagram with arrows showing these forces acting on their hovercraft: the push from their hand, gravity (down), and friction and air resistance (pointing in the opposite way the hovercraft is moving).

how does a hovercraft relate to Newton's 3rd law? Students explore Newton's third law of motion (“for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”) by building a hovercraft. by Newton's third law of motion. Having a thin layer of air helps also helps the hovercraft move by reducing the amount of friction between the CD and the ground.

Considering this, how does understanding friction help engineers move objects?

Understanding how friction works helps engineers design moving objects so they can be controlled. Sometimes they design materials to increase the friction and other times to reduce the friction. Engineers also reduce friction between moving parts so that they run smoothly and do not wear down as quickly.

How does a balloon hovercraft work?

The balloon acts as a pressurized gas chamber. When you open the cap, the balloon forces air out through the cap, creating a thin cushion of air beneath the CD. As you nudged your hovercraft around, you may have noticed that it zipped along the surface like an air hockey puck.