[usurper]

It generated 5.4 Newtons of thrust,

I have no idea how much a Newton is, do you know how much that would be in terms of horse power? I am old school.

[PapaBear3625]

5.4 newtons is 1.2 pounds of thrust. This is not much, short term, but if it can run for a month, you have build up significant velocity.

[PapaBear3625]

The definition of newton is "In plain English, 1 newton of force is the force required to accelerate an object with a mass of 1 kilogram 1 meter per second per second".

If you have a space probe weighing 1000kg, being pushed at a thrust of 5.4 newtons, after 1 second it will have accelerated 5.4/1000 m/s, which is not much. But after a day, then it will have accelerated to a velocity of (5.4*3600*24)/1000 = 467 m/s

[cynwoody]

I have no idea how much a Newton is, do you know how much that would be in terms of horse power? I am old school.

One newton is the amount of force needed to accelerate one kilogram one meter per second per second.

Consider that one kilogram weighs 2.2 lbs, and the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 meters per second per second. Therefore one newton in pounds is 2.2/9.8 = 0.225.

[TexasGator]

“I have no idea how much a Newton is, do you know how much that would be in terms of horse power? I am old school.”

Newton is a unit of force.

Horse power is a unit of power.