3 ms·
Wouldn't we care more about the momentum of the exhaust rather than the mass? I'm not quite following why lighter particles are better
by dgoldstein0 3y ago
Wouldn't we care more about the momentum of the exhaust rather than the mass? I'm not quite following why lighter particles are better
- p1mrx 3y agoAssume that total propellant mass is a constant (limited by the launch vehicle) and temperature is a constant (because melting the rocket would be bad.) With constant mass, you increase the total momentum by increasing the exhaust velocity. With constant temperature, you increase the exhaust velocity by making the molecules smaller.