Action and reaction are equal but opposite to each other. These forces act in pairs. Do they balance each other? Can bodies move under action-reaction pairs?

Yes, the action and reaction forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, and they always act in pairs. According to Newton’s third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, the forces involved in an action-reaction pair always balance each other out.

In terms of movement, an action-reaction pair can cause motion in different directions for the two objects involved for example, when you push a box across the floor, the force you apply on the box is the action, and the force the box applies back on you is the reaction. These forces are equal and opposite, but they act on different objects. The box moves in the direction of the force you apply.