When a cannon fires a cannonball the cannon will recoil because?

When a cannon fires a cannonball, it recoils due to the principle of conservation of momentum. As the cannonball is propelled forward with a certain momentum, the cannon itself must move backward to conserve the total momentum of the system. This reaction occurs in equal and opposite directions, as described by Newton's third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, the forward motion of the cannonball results in the backward motion of the cannon.