How does a jet engine generate thrust for an aircraft?

A jet engine generates thrust by accelerating a stream of fluid—typically air—rearward, based on the principles of Newton’s second law of motion. This law dictates that the force required to accelerate a mass is proportional to the product of that mass and its acceleration; in a jet engine, this manifests as the force required to increase the velocity of an airstream from its inlet speed to a higher discharge velocity.1

The process generally involves two main stages:

• The Prime Mover: A gas turbine compresses incoming air, mixes it with fuel, and burns it to create a high-pressure, high-temperature stream of combustion gases. This stage converts chemical energy into "gas horsepower".231
• The Propulsor: This component harnesses the gas horsepower to generate thrust. Depending on the engine type, this is achieved by either accelerating the gas stream directly through a jet nozzle or by using the energy to drive an external device like a propeller or fan.1

Ultimately, the reaction to the force exerted on the accelerated airstream is transmitted to the aircraft as propulsive thrust.1