Jet Engine

flight · powerful machines · combustion

Burns fuel rapidly. Inside a jet engine, fuel ignites and burns at extremely high temperatures, creating hot gases that expand so forcefully they need to go somewhere, which is right out the back of the engine.

Creates thrust by reaction. The engine works on a simple rule: when hot gas shoots backward at high speed, it pushes the plane forward with equal force. This is called jet propulsion.

Different types exist. Turbofans (the most common kind in commercial planes) use a big fan to suck in air, while scramjets and ramjets work differently and are used for specialized aircraft.

Uses spinning parts. Most jet engines have spinning turbines and compressors that squeeze air and move fuel to exactly where it needs to burn, all happening hundreds of times per second.

Needs oxygen to work. Unlike rockets that carry their own fuel and oxygen, jet engines are air-breathing, which means they suck oxygen from the atmosphere around them to burn their fuel.