| A | B |
|---|
| Thrust | The forward force produced in reaction to gasses escaping from the back of a rocket or jet engine. |
| Altitude | The height of an object above the Earth's surface. |
| Drag | The force of fluid or air that resists an object's movement passing through it. The more aerodynamic an object is, the less drag is exerted on it. |
| Weight | The force of gravity upon an object. The more the object weighs, the more difficult it is for the object to be lifted. |
| Fin | Fixed or moving vertical airfoil whose chief function is to give a rocket or airplane stability in flight. |
| Gravity | The force of attraction between any two masses. On Earth, gravity is the force of the Earth pulling everything toward it. |
| Oxidizer | A substance that provides oxygen to another substance. In rockets, an oxidizer combines with a fuel in a combustion chamber to create the propellant for the rocket. |
| Propellant | The fuel and oxidizer used to propel a rocket. The propellant is formed in the combustion chamber. |
| Combustion | The act or process of burning. |
| Aerodynamics | The characteristics of the outer body of an object that affect the object's efficiency as it moves through the air. |
| Fuel | Any material burned to supply heat or power. It combines with an oxidizer to form a propellant in a combustion chamber. |
| Nose cone | The front cone-shaped part of a rocket. It can withstand great amounts of heat and must be aerodynamic. |
| Subsonic | Slower than the speed of sound. The speed of sound is approximately 700 miles per hour. |
| Leading edge | The front edge of a propeller blade or fin. |
| Trailing edge | The back edge of a propeller blade or fin. |
| Center of Gravity | The center of an object. The point around which an object's weight is evenly distributed. |
| Center of Pressure | The Center of Pressure exists only when a rocket or plane is traveling through the air. It is the point at which there is exactly the same amount of surface area on both sides. |
| Fulcrum | A support on which an object balances. |
| Angle of attack | The angle between a wing and an airflow that creates lift. |
| Lift | The upward force that overcomes gravity and drag and allows an object to lift. |
