- #1
flatmaster
- 501
- 2
I was arguing with my NASA friend the other day about what would make a more efficent propellent for an ion engine. Is it a lighter ion or a heavier ion. THis was what I derived.
Assume a charge q of mass m is accelerated through a potential V. The mass of the ship is M. Working through the problem with the tools an intro physics student could comprehend, I arrived at an equation that gives you the change in velocity for the ship after consuming ONE available ion.
v = Sqrt[2qVm/(M^2)]
I'm pretty confident in this. The units work out and all variables are in the correct place intuitively.
i'm confused on one point. I already have velocity as a function of mass of one particle. Do I need to divide by mass of one particle to get to velocity change per unit mass?
I think I'm confusing particle mass with bulk mass somehow.
Assume a charge q of mass m is accelerated through a potential V. The mass of the ship is M. Working through the problem with the tools an intro physics student could comprehend, I arrived at an equation that gives you the change in velocity for the ship after consuming ONE available ion.
v = Sqrt[2qVm/(M^2)]
I'm pretty confident in this. The units work out and all variables are in the correct place intuitively.
i'm confused on one point. I already have velocity as a function of mass of one particle. Do I need to divide by mass of one particle to get to velocity change per unit mass?
I think I'm confusing particle mass with bulk mass somehow.