Newton's third law explains how rockets propel forward from "summary" of Rocket Science: A Beginner's Guide to the Fundamentals of Spaceflight by Andrew Rader
Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This fundamental principle is crucial in understanding how rockets propel forward in space. When a rocket engine expels hot gases out of its nozzle at high speeds, it creates a powerful thrust in the opposite direction. This thrust is the action, and the rocket moving forward is the reaction. The key to rocket propulsion lies in the conservation of momentum. As the rocket engine expels mass in one direction, the rocket gains momentum in the opposite direction. This transfer of momentum propels the rocket forward through the vacuum of space. The more mass the rocket expels at a higher velocity, the greater the thrust genera...
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