The answer to this question comes from the third law. Imagine the skateboard again. On the ground, the only part air plays in the motions of the rider and the skateboard is to slow them down. Moving through the air causes friction, or as scientists call it, drag. The surrounding air impedes the action-reaction.
Rockets actually work better in space than they do in air.
In space, the exhaust gases can escape freely. This law of motion is a mathematical equation that helps to explain the Third Law. We will use a gun as an example of how the second law works. This is action and reaction at work. The force acting on the bullet and on the gun is the same.