- #1
jonnyk
- 81
- 0
Hi everyone,
According to the equation Power = Force x Velocity or P = mav or a= P/mv, in order to keep say a rocket at constant accelration would require a CONSTANT INCREASE IN ENERGY INPUT PER UNIT TIME. This is somehow problematic to visualize for me. It would mean that accelerating a rocket with g from 10000-20000 km/h would require THREE TIMES more energy than accelrating it with g from 0-10000 km/h both relative to the earth(due to KE= .5mv^2) . This means as the rocket's accelration is to be kept constant the astronaut would observe that he/she needs to burn more and more fuel per unit time while yet expeiencing the same accelration. To demonstarate this problem further. SAY now the Earth is also accelrated towards the rocket until it cathces up with it and is then again slowed down to a conatant speed with the rocket. One would now require more OF THE SAME EARTH'S FUEL/time on this accelrated earth(OR DOES PE OF EARTH'S FUEL INCREASE LINEARLY WITH IT'S BEING ACCELRATED? i don't think so and if tht were the case then the rocket's fuel PE should also have increased) to speed from 0-10000 km/h with the rocket using the same accelration g as one did before from the old earth. But does that make sense and has it been verified experimentally?
According to the equation Power = Force x Velocity or P = mav or a= P/mv, in order to keep say a rocket at constant accelration would require a CONSTANT INCREASE IN ENERGY INPUT PER UNIT TIME. This is somehow problematic to visualize for me. It would mean that accelerating a rocket with g from 10000-20000 km/h would require THREE TIMES more energy than accelrating it with g from 0-10000 km/h both relative to the earth(due to KE= .5mv^2) . This means as the rocket's accelration is to be kept constant the astronaut would observe that he/she needs to burn more and more fuel per unit time while yet expeiencing the same accelration. To demonstarate this problem further. SAY now the Earth is also accelrated towards the rocket until it cathces up with it and is then again slowed down to a conatant speed with the rocket. One would now require more OF THE SAME EARTH'S FUEL/time on this accelrated earth(OR DOES PE OF EARTH'S FUEL INCREASE LINEARLY WITH IT'S BEING ACCELRATED? i don't think so and if tht were the case then the rocket's fuel PE should also have increased) to speed from 0-10000 km/h with the rocket using the same accelration g as one did before from the old earth. But does that make sense and has it been verified experimentally?
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