  In this paper, I outline some problems in the students' understanding of the
explanation of recoil motion when introduced to them in the context of Newton's
third law. I propose to explain the origin of recoil from a microscopic point
of view, which emphasizes the exact mechanism leading to recoil. This mechanism
differs from one system to another. Several examples that can be easily
implemented in the classroom environment are given in this paper. Such a
profound understanding of the origin of recoil help students avoid some of the
misconceptions that might arise from the phenomenological approach, and
stimulates their thinking in the fundamental origins of other physical
phenomena.
