Question

Ion-propulsion rockets have been proposed for use in space. They employ atomic ionization techniques and nuclear energy sources to produce extremely high exhaust velocities, perhaps as great as 8.00 ✕ 10⁶m/s. These techniques allows a much more favorable payload-to-fuel ratio. To illustrate this fact:

(a)

Calculate the increase in velocity in m/s of a 18,000-kg space probe that expels only 40.0-kg of its mass at the given exhaust velocity.

.................................. m/s

(b)

These engines are usually designed to produce a very small thrust for a very long time—the type of engine that might be useful on a trip to the outer planets, for example. Calculate the acceleration in m/s² of such an engine if it expels 4.50 ✕ 10⁻⁶ kg/s at the given velocity, assuming the acceleration due to gravity is negligible.

..............................................m/s²

Answer 1