Question

A small rocket burns 0.0500 kg of fuel per second, ejecting it as a gas with a velocity relative to the rocket of magnitude 1600 m/s. (a) What is the thrust of the rocket

Answer 1

The thrust (F) of a rocket can be calculated by the equation:

F = m_dot * v_e,

where:
- m_dot is the rate of change of mass (or the mass flow rate), in this case, the amount of fuel consumed per second, and
- v_e is the exhaust velocity, which is the speed of the gas being ejected from the rocket.

Plugging in the given values:

F = (0.0500 kg/s) * (1600 m/s) = 80 N.

So the thrust of the rocket is 80 Newtons.