Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Name the principle on which a rocket works.

seo-qna
SearchIcon
Answer
VerifiedVerified
103.8k+ views
Hint It is clear that a rocket has motion. We see on which principle of motion a rocket works. To solve this question, we see the basic working of a rocket. The forces that act on the rocket for it to move against gravity. After that, we see which of the laws of motion it is mainly dependent on.

Complete Step by step solution We know that a rocket goes upwards only because of the force from the engine. The force from the engine is acting downwards and the opposite action of this is the movement of the rocket upwards.
We know that the third law of motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
The first action that is taking place in the case of a rocket is the force from the engine going downwards. The equal and opposite force of this is the upwards movement of the rocket.
Thus, we can say that a rocket works on the third law of motion.
The Law of conservation of momentum states that momentum can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed through the action of forces.
It also works on the conservation of momentum. From a rocket's engine, the fuel gas is ejected with a high velocity, this makes it have a high momentum. This momentum is conserved by making the rocket move upwards with equal momentum.
A rocket works on the third law of motion as well as the conservation of momentum.

Note Although a rocket follows all the laws of motion as well as laws of conservation. But the working of a rocket is mostly based on the third law of motion as well as the law of conservation of momentum. Another simple example of this law of motion is pushing a wall. Although the wall doesn’t move when we push it. It is still exerting a force equal and opposite to the force we are applying which is why the wall is not moving. If we exert more force than the wall then the wall will break.