Labs / Physics
Rocket Thrust
A rocket speeds up by throwing mass out the back. Choose how much fuel to carry, how fast the exhaust leaves, and how quickly it burns, then ignite and watch the mass drain while the velocity climbs — never in a straight line. The amber tick marks the top speed the rocket equation says you can reach.
m 1000 kgF 110.0 kNΔv 0 m/s
What to try
- Double the exhaust velocity but leave the fuel alone. Does the final Δv double too?
- Crank the burn rate all the way up. The rocket gets there faster — but does it reach a higher top speed?
- Push the fuel fraction toward 95%. Why does the last bit of Δv cost so much more fuel than the first?
- Switch to the Ion engine. Its exhaust is blistering fast, yet the thrust is tiny — which one wins the speed race, and why?
- Can you ever reach a Δv above the amber limit line, no matter how you tune the sliders?