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The only universal use for propellers is to create thrust. Thrust is the force of flight that pushes an aircraft or spacecraft forward. Propellers are like wings but with a twist. Their special shape (called an airfoil) creates a pressure differnence in the front and back, pushing the aircraft forward. This is due to Bernoulli's Principle. 

Boats also use propellers to create thrust, moving them through the water with the same principle as planes flying through the air!