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Why does the source say multistage rockets are used instead of trying to build a single-stage rocket where fuel makes up 180 times everything else combined?
ABecause multistage rockets do not need any fuel at all
BBecause each stage only needs part of the final velocity
CBecause a single-stage rocket could never generate any thrust
DBecause multistage rockets ignore Newton's third law entirely
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Because each stage only needs part of the final velocity
1. Building a single-stage rocket with fuel outweighing everything else by 180 to 1 is difficult in practice.
2. Its stated solution is multistage rockets.
3. Each stage only needs to achieve part of the final velocity and is discarded after it burns its fuel.
4. This lets each later stage carry smaller engines and relatively more payload, rather than eliminating the need for fuel or contradicting Newton's third law, which still explains every stage's thrust.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 8 "Linear Momentum and Collisions", section 8.7 Introduction to Rocket Propulsion_
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