iÂ·deÂ·a. n. 1. Something, such as a thought or conception, that is the product of mental activity. 2. An opinion, conviction, or principle: has some strange political ideas. 3. A plan, purpose, or goal: She started school with the idea of becoming a doctor. 4.
The direction of the thrust is normally along the longitudinal axis of the rocket through the rocket center of gravity. But on some rockets, the exhaust nozzle and the thrust direction can be rotated, or gimbaled. The rocket can then be maneuvered by using the torque about the center of gravity. The magnitude of the thrust can be determined by the general thrust equation.
Thrust is the force which moves an aircraft through the air. Thrust is used to overcome the drag of an airplane, and to overcome the weight of a rocket. Thrust is generated by the engines of the aircraft through some kind of propulsion system. Thrust is a mechanical force, so the propulsion system must be in physical contact with a working fluid to produce thrust. Thrust is generated most often through the reaction of accelerating a mass of gas. Since thrust is a force, it is a vector quantity having both a magnitude and a direction. The engine does work on the gas and accelerates the gas to the rear of the engine; the thrust is generated in the opposite direction from the accelerated gas.