| One of the most amazing endeavors man has
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| | This concept of "throwing mass and
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| ever undertaken is the exploration of
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| | benefiting from the reaction" can be hard
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| space. A big part of the amazement is the
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| | to grasp at first, because that does not
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| complexity. Space exploration is
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| | seem to be what is happening. Rocket
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| complicated because there are so many
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| | engines seem to be about flames and noise
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| problems to solve and obstacles to
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| | and pressure, not "throwing things."
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| overcome. You have things like:
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| | Let's look at a few examples to get a
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| The vacuum of space
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| | better picture of reality:
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| Heat management problems
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| | If you have ever shot a shotgun,
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| The difficulty of re-entry
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| | especially a big 12-gauge shot gun, then
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| Orbital mechanics
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| | you know that it has a lot of "kick."
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| Micrometeorites and space debris
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| | That is, when you shoot the gun it
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| Cosmic and solar radiation
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| | "kicks" your shoulder back with a great
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| The logistics of having restroom
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| | deal of force. That kick is a reaction. A
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| facilities in a weightless environment
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| | shotgun is shooting about an ounce of
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| But the biggest problem of all is
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| | metal in one direction at about 700 miles
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| harnessing enough energy simply to get a
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| | per hour, and your shoulder gets hit with
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| spaceship off the ground. That is where
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| | the reaction. If you were wearing roller
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| rocket engines come in.
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| | skates or standing on a skateboard when
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| Rocket engines are, on the one hand, so
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| | you shot the gun, then the gun would be
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| simple that you can build and fly your
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| | acting like a rocket engine and you would
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| own model rockets very inexpensively (see
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| | react by rolling in the opposite
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| the links on the last page of the article
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| | direction.
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| for details). On the other hand, rocket
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| | If you have ever seen a big fire hose
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| engines (and their fuel systems) are so
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| | spraying water, you may have noticed that
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| complicated that only three countries
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| | it takes a lot of strength to hold the
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| have actually ever put people in orbit.
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| | hose (sometimes you will see two or three
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| In this article, we will look at rocket
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| | firefighters holding the hose). The hose
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| engines to understand how they work, as
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| | is acting like a rocket engine. The hose
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| well as to understand some of the
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| | is throwing water in one direction, and
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| complexity surrounding them.
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| | the firefighters are using their strength
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| When most people think about motors or
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| | and weight to counteract the reaction. If
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| engines, they think about rotation. For
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| | they were to let go of the hose, it would
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| example, a reciprocating gasoline engine
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| | thrash around with tremendous force. If
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| in a car produces rotational energy to
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| | the firefighters were all standing on
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| drive the wheels. An electric motor
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| | skateboards, the hose would propel them
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| produces rotational energy to drive a fan
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| | backwards at great speed!
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| or spin a disk. A steam engine is used to
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| | When you blow up a balloon and let it go
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| do the same thing, as is a steam turbine
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| | so that it flies all over the room before
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| and most gas turbines.
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| | running out of air, you have created a
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| Rocket engines are fundamentally
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| | rocket engine. In this case, what is
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| different. Rocket engines are reaction
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| | being thrown is the air molecules inside
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| engines. The basic principle driving a
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| | the balloon. Many people believe that air
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| rocket engine is the famous Newtonian
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| | molecules don't weigh anything, but they
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| principle that "to every action there is
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| | do (see the page on helium to get a
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| an equal and opposite reaction." A rocket
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| | better picture of the weight of air).
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| engine is throwing mass in one direction
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| | When you throw them out the nozzle of a
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| and benefiting from the reaction that
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| | balloon, the rest of the balloon reacts
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| occurs in the other direction as a
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| | in the opposite direction.
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| result.
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