How does a jet engine produce thrust?

Jet engines work on Newton’s third law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Air enters the engine through the intake and is compressed by spinning compressor blades, which raise its pressure. Fuel is injected and burned in the combustion chamber, producing hot expanding gases that drive turbine blades and escape through the nozzle. The fast exhaust produces thrust that propels the aircraft forward. The first practical turbojet aircraft flew in 1939, and jet propulsion transformed aviation after World War II.