Explosions

5thhouse · **Sun May 12, 2002 7:14 pm Explosions**

To my knowlege things can not explode in space, space is a vacume with almost no oxygen, how chould something explode?

lord_picard · Captain Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 713

because it is usualy a special explosion, which involves things like anti mater

Voy_Girl · **Wed Mar 12, 2003 3:31 pm**

^
Has to be something like that, I guess.

EnsignParis · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 07 Sep 2001 Posts: 257

It's just for effects really...there would be a flash because of the oxygen kept on the ship, but there wouldn't be an explosion like you would see in an atmosphere.

Just adds to the show, there's no scientific backing to it.

Zeke Zabertini · Captain Joined: 13 Sep 2002 Posts: 4832

True, but things would still definately explode, with or without the trademark fireball.

Vortex · **Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:39 pm**

the propulsion system used nowadays has a fuel and an oxygen tank. Fuel doesn't burn without oxygen. So believe me if both were to mix in space a hell of an explosion would happen.

EnsignParis · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 07 Sep 2001 Posts: 257

Link, the Hero of Time · **Thu Mar 13, 2003 9:35 am**

yes there would. In an explosion, everything is pushed outwards. this includes oxygen and fuel, because they need to disperse before anything like space sucks it up into nothing. you'd see one heck of a fire ball if a starship exploded.

Captain Skyline · Vice Admiral Joined: 09 Aug 2001 Posts: 6646 Location: UK

This may sound stupid but i thought as the ship explodes, the oxygon is released from the enterior of the ship, thus causing an explosion because Oxygon is present.

PrankishSmart · **Fri Mar 14, 2003 10:37 am**

^Yep, I agree.

webtaz99 · **Fri Nov 14, 2003 8:21 pm Explosions in space**

Due to vacuum, explosions in space are much less damaging.

On earth most of the damage of an explosion comes from the concussion effects. This depends on air to transfer forces.

In space only the material that is exploding can transfer force.

And I hate to scare some of you, but stars explode.

Seriously, they do.

In fact, they all do, eventually.

Sorry about that.

mr_glyn · **Tue Dec 02, 2003 7:29 am**

think about a space shuttle today. what would happen if it went bang... Same priniciable

Hitomi · **Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:19 pm**

although the current space shuttles dont carry nearly as much oxygen as the star trek ships do. Just about all the liquid oxygen they use as fuel is used up upon launch. They'd probably only go bang and throw lots of pieces everywhere, but it's doubtfull that they would make a fireball.

Lt.BirdGod · **Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:46 pm Re: Explosions in space**

EnsignParis · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 07 Sep 2001 Posts: 257

Link · **Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:47 pm Re: Explosions in space**

Lt.BirdGod · **Sun Dec 07, 2003 2:44 pm**

Hmmmmm. This is true.

So it would be like a chemical fire. Powered by the chemical itself, burning off of it, and can burn in any location.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Link · **Mon Dec 08, 2003 8:08 pm**

Cause i thought of it..
lol
not really...
but yes, the other fuel would be what is burning.
Though there is one flaw in star trek.
Their flames are red and yellow.
that is from a normal earth like fire.
But a matter/antimatter/plasma/any other chemicals fire would most likely be a diffrent color...

stv12 · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 337

lol, maybe blue?

I've pondered on this myself, and come to a conclusion that an explosion in space works the same way as a star burns in space. Pure chemical fire fueling it, no oxygen required...or at least i think so...

Whitehero · **Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:17 pm**

Lets say that oxygen is released. If it isn't consumed by any fire, it has to be sucked out into space where it disperses. However, how far would it disapate to? Would it totally disperse so that any volume of air in space would be evenly distributed throughout the universe? Because if space is a vaccume and would normally suck air out into it, wouldn't other parts of space want some of it to?

Think about it, every part of space is a vaccume. So wouldn't that assume that space is trying to suck stuff outta other parts of space because face it, we don't know how fast the dispersed air would travel in a vaccume or even where the air would go.

There's another question. Where would the oxygen go to after being sucked out into space?

webtaz99 · **Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:36 pm Vacuum vs pressure**

Most people don't understand this, but there is no such thing as "suction".

What really happens is that something at a place where the pressure is higher tries to move to a place where the pressure is lower. This may seem like nit-picking, but it becomes relevant when you consider the "vacuum" of space.

Space is (mostly) empty, so any material under pressure will try to occupy that (empty) space.

Gasses "sucked out" into space will slowly dissipate the point where there are a few atoms/molecules per cubic meter (the current density of "empty" space). Given enough time the "solar wind" will "blow" the atoms/molecules out into interstellar space. From there, who knows?