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To increase the acceleration of a rocket, should you throw rocks out of the front window of the rocket or out of the back window?

a) Out of the front window
b) Out of the back window
c) It doesn't affect acceleration.
d) It depends on the rocket's design.

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User JRoppert
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Final answer:

To increase the acceleration of a rocket, rocks should be thrown out of the back window, following Newton's third law of motion and the principles of rocket propulsion. b) Out of the back window is correct option.

Step-by-step explanation:

To increase the acceleration of a rocket, one should throw rocks out of the back window of the rocket. This concept is based on Newton's third law of motion, stating that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When mass is ejected from the back of the rocket at high speeds (exhaust velocity), it propels the rocket forward more forcefully, enhancing its acceleration.

According to the principles of rocket acceleration, factors such as a greater exhaust velocity, rapid fuel burning, and a smaller mass all contribute to a higher acceleration. As the rocket expels mass in the form of exhaust gases, its own mass decreases, allowing for a continuous increase in acceleration throughout its burn time.

Therefore, ejecting rocks or any other mass out of the back window aligns with these principles, effectively increasing the rocket's acceleration. It is not the push against the Earth's surface that propels a rocket, but the expulsion of mass in one direction that pushes the rocket in the opposite direction, enabling it to accelerate even in the vacuum of space.

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User Travis James
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