What will be the rate of fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c'

In summary: If you could arrange for the ship to accelerate at a constant 1g (1 Earth gravity) for a long time, the ship and its crew would feel the same constant 1g acceleration and would be pressed into their seats with a force of about 9.8 newtons per kilogram. If the ship had a mass of 1,000,000 kg, it would be consuming about 9,800,000 newtons of fuel at all times, and you could do the math to see how much fuel that would be. The fact that the ship is moving at close to c relative to something else is not relevant to this calculation.In summary, when an object moves at a constant speed relative to something,
  • #1
Prashan Shan
31
0
when an object moves relative to something it experiences time at a slower rate right?
now let's assume that an rocket moves 99.99% the speed of light, then what will be the rate of fuel consumption?
will it remain the same or it will increase/decrease?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Prashan Shan said:
when an object moves relative to something it experiences time at a slower rate right?
now let's assume that an rocket moves 99.99% the speed of light, then what will be the rate of fuel consumption?
will it remain the same or it will increase/decrease?
If it were moving inertially relative to something else at that speed it would consume no fuel.

You need to get clear about relative velocity. Also acceleration, which increases relative velocity and requires propulsion in the absence of gravity.

This might help with rockets

http://www.quantumg.net/rocketeq.html
[PLAIN]http://www.quantumg.net/rocketeq.html[/PLAIN]
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Tsiolkovsky+rocket+equation
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #3
There is also this page on relativistic rockets.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/rocket.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
Prashan Shan said:
when an object moves relative to something it experiences time at a slower rate right?
now let's assume that an rocket moves 99.99% the speed of light, then what will be the rate of fuel consumption?
will it remain the same or it will increase/decrease?
Right now you are moving at 99.9999% of c relative to a particle at CERN. How much fuel are you using?
 
  • Like
Likes Stephanus
  • #5
It will consume no fuel because of reltavistic effects.
 
  • #6
tallal hashmi said:
It will consume no fuel because of reltavistic effects.

It will consume no fuel if it is moving at a constant speed andnot accelerating, but this has nothing to do with any "relativistic effects". It's momma-poppa simple bone stock Newtonian mathematics: Start with ##F=ma##, set ##a## equal to zero because it's moving at a constant speed, conclude that ##F## is therefore zero, and ask yourself how much fuel burn is required to produce zero force.
 
  • #7
Nugatory said:
It will consume no fuel if it is moving at a constant speed andnot accelerating, but this has nothing to do with any "relativistic effects". It's momma-poppa simple bone stock Newtonian mathematics: Start with ##F=ma##, set ##a## equal to zero because it's moving at a constant speed, conclude that ##F## is therefore zero, and ask yourself how much fuel burn is required to produce zero force.
Then what will happen if it accelerates?
 
  • #8
Prashan Shan said:
Then what will happen if it accelerates?
It will consume fuel.
 
  • Like
Likes Stephanus
  • #9
Prashan Shan said:
what will happen if it accelerates?

To amplify on phinds' response a bit, it will consume fuel, and the amount of fuel consumed will depend on the acceleration as felt by the ship and its crew; the fact that the ship is moving at close to c relative to something else has nothing to do with it.
 
  • Like
Likes Stephanus and Prashan Shan

FAQ: What will be the rate of fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c'

What is the rate of fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c'?

The rate of fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c' depends on several factors including the type of rocket, its weight, and the distance it is traveling. However, in general, a rocket traveling at the speed of light (c) would consume fuel at an incredibly high rate due to the immense amount of energy required to reach that speed.

What is the significance of 'c' in relation to fuel consumption of a rocket?

'c' represents the speed of light, which is the fastest speed at which anything can travel in the universe. As a rocket approaches this speed, its fuel consumption increases exponentially due to the laws of physics. This means that reaching 'c' is not only incredibly difficult, but also incredibly energy-intensive.

Is there a maximum speed at which a rocket can travel without consuming fuel?

Yes, according to the laws of physics, there is a maximum speed at which a rocket can travel without consuming fuel. This speed is known as the escape velocity and varies depending on the mass and size of the rocket, as well as the gravitational pull of the planet it is launching from.

How does the rate of fuel consumption change as a rocket approaches 'c'?

The rate of fuel consumption increases exponentially as a rocket approaches 'c'. This is due to the energy required to accelerate an object with mass to the speed of light. As the rocket gets closer to 'c', it requires more and more energy to continue increasing its speed, resulting in a higher rate of fuel consumption.

What are some potential solutions to reduce the fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c'?

Currently, there is no known solution to significantly reduce the fuel consumption of a rocket near 'c'. However, scientists continue to research and develop new propulsion technologies that could potentially make space travel more efficient and reduce the amount of fuel needed for high-speed travel.

Similar threads

B Calculating Fuel Efficiency of Rocket Going Near c
Replies
2
Views
1K
B Time dilation, relativistic mass and fuel consumption
3
Replies
101
Views
7K
I Does Pulse and Glide only work with manual transmissions and a kill switch?
2
Replies
55
Views
4K
Fuel conservation near a Schwarzschild black hole
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Relativistic speed of a rocket with constant thrust
4
Replies
114
Views
9K
I Comparing Tick rates of clocks across Frames
Replies
23
Views
343
I Comparing Clock Rates in Accelerated vs Constant Velocity Frames
Replies
14
Views
1K
I How Do Rockets Traveling at High Speeds Observe Each Other's Velocity?
Replies
6
Views
1K
Bi-propellant Liquid Fuel Engine Pressures Before Thrust Chamber
Replies
2
Views
2K
How to calculate velocity of infinite-stage rocket?
Replies
2
Views
541

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top