What force musst be overcome to a launch a vehicle into space?
Would that force be weight?
Yes, however most would say gravity.
alright, thanks :-)
To launch a vehicle into space, the force that must be overcome is not weight, but gravity. Weight is the force exerted on an object due to the gravitational pull of a celestial body, such as the Earth.
Gravity is the force of attraction between two masses, in this case, between the Earth and the vehicle. It acts to pull the vehicle back towards the Earth's surface. In order to overcome the force of gravity and launch a vehicle into space, an upward force known as thrust must be generated.
Thrust is the force that propels the vehicle forward and upward. It is typically generated by engines, such as rockets or jet engines, that expel high-speed gases in the opposite direction of the desired motion. The principle behind this is Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The expelled gases create a reaction force in the opposite direction, propelling the vehicle upward and overcoming gravity.
In summary, while weight is influenced by gravity, the force that needs to be overcome to launch a vehicle into space is the force of gravity itself. This is achieved by generating thrust to propel the vehicle upward and counteract the gravitational pull.