Final answer:
The drag force on the oar is the result of friction between the oar and the water as the rower rows the boat; the motion of the boat is thrust forward due to the rower's arms applying force to the oars.
Step-by-step explanation:
The drag force from the water on the oar is caused by a combination of factors primarily involving the interaction between the oars and the water in which the boat is traveling. When the rower applies a force to the oar, the oar interacts with the water, creating a backward force due to friction, which is known as drag force. This force is directly opposed to the motion of the oar through the water. Additionally, the force that moves a boat forward when someone rows it is not due to gravity but rather the rower's arms applying force on the oars, which then push against the water, generating thrust in the opposite direction due to Newton's third law of motion.