Pretty conclusive: a gas-POWERED rocket cannot possibly do WORK in a vacuum.
Not quite, Dr Herr Papa Legba, Professor of
Piston-engined space-craft!What you really should have claimed is that "a
piston-engined gas-POWERED rocket cannot possibly do WORK in a vacuum."
And, since I guess that engine would have to drive a propellor (yair I know,
it could flap wings
), it really would be pretty useless in a vacuum.
But a rocket pushing tonnes of gas at extreme velocity out the back is quite another story.
Papa, we're waiting bated breathe for you to get to that section in your thermodynamics course, just so we can learn how rockets really work in a vacuum!
In the meantime you could learn a lot from
Robert A. Braeunig, ROCKET PROPULSION.Now, don't rant and rave an cuss at us , we're only trying to help you learn a bit where your education has been sadly lacking.
Happy
studying.