I can't seem to find a specific answer to this anywhere.
I understand that in a rocket there is a chemical reaction that causes gas particles to leave the rocket at high velocity. By Newton's third law, and the conservation of momentum, this caused the rocket to be propelled.
What is missing is a physical explaination of what exactly causes this force on the rocket, as most answers annoyingly miss this final bit!
People often use a skateboard-bowling ball analogy. However, in this analogy the person throws the ball and the ball provides an equal and opposite force on the person as it is thrown. The problem is, rocket doesn't 'throw' the exhaust out as it directly doesn't accelerate the particles - this is a result of a reaction. So what exactly causes the force on the rocket itself? Is it the case that in the explosion some gas particles collide with the rocket base, and the nossle is designed as to maximise collisions that will provide an upward force?
I have seen people say this is wrong, or suggest it is right. Wikipedia says:
'About half of the rocket engine's thrust comes from the unbalanced pressures inside the combustion chamber, and the rest comes from the pressures acting against the inside of the nozzle'
I want to be able to understand this in terms of particle collisions. I know there is a force due to the physical laws but people don't seem interested in the mechanics of the force itself.
Back to the analogy: if someone where to throw a bowling ball over your skateboard, you wouldn't move, just as particles leaving a rocket, without collision of any kind, wouldn't cause the rocket to move (I know that's not possible, but hopefully makes my point). Hope this question makes sense.
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