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How does a jet engine work?

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Quick answer

A jet engine works by sucking in air, compressing it, mixing it with fuel and burning it, then blasting the hot exhaust out the back. That high-speed jet of gas pushes the engine — and the plane — forward, following Newton's third law.

Step by step

  1. A spinning compressor squeezes incoming air to high pressure.
  2. Fuel is sprayed in and ignited, making hot, rapidly expanding gas.
  3. The gas rushes out the back at high speed, producing forward thrust.
  4. On the way out it spins a turbine that drives the compressor up front.
  5. Thrust follows Newton's third law: push exhaust back, the engine goes forward.

People also ask

How does a jet engine create thrust?
It throws a large mass of hot gas backward at high speed; by Newton's third law, an equal force pushes the engine forward.
What's the basic cycle of a jet engine?
Suck (intake air), squeeze (compress it), bang (burn fuel), blow (expel exhaust) — repeated continuously.
Do jet engines work in space?
No. They need oxygen from the air to burn fuel; rockets carry their own oxidizer, so only rockets work in the vacuum of space.

Part of the guide: Cars, Trains, Planes & Ships →