Geckgo
Member
jmorris, interesting thought. The barrel would be in vacuum as well, you would probably see higher mussle velocities in a vacuum, also the ability to load "hotter." lol.
Would a bullet travel farther in a vacuum?
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Taurus 66
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Why there are so many who still cannot understand in their own minds "simple physics" about a "simplest most common-sensical understandings" in nature (a projectile's air resistance and gravity, etc) ... hasn't this topic already been discussed somewhere from long ago and is curently stored in archives?
Strykervet
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Newton's Laws apply here.
1. In the vacuum of space, the bullet will travel indefinitely. As it accelerates due to the force of the charge, it will reach a velocity where it no longer accelerates (a short time after it exits the barrel). It will continue at this velocity forever, theoretically, or until it comes into contact with something that either stops it or slows it down, ie, another force. This could be from hitting dust for millions of years, or it could be from gravitational pull due to heavenly objects.
2. A vacuum on Earth. Here, gravity will pull the bullet down. The bullet, as long as there is no air resistance (its in a vacuum, right?) will continue at the x velocity indefinitely as the force in the negative y direction due to gravity pulls it down at 9.8m/s^2. So it would continue at that velocity until it hit the ground.
3. No vacuum on Earth. The same as in 2. except the air pressure acts as resistance against the bullet, further slowing it down in the x direction. They both drop in the y direction the same speed because the gravity force pulling them down is the same. The air resistance against a bullet in the y direction is negligble, but if you wanted to get REAL technical, I guess you could figure it in.
1. In the vacuum of space, the bullet will travel indefinitely. As it accelerates due to the force of the charge, it will reach a velocity where it no longer accelerates (a short time after it exits the barrel). It will continue at this velocity forever, theoretically, or until it comes into contact with something that either stops it or slows it down, ie, another force. This could be from hitting dust for millions of years, or it could be from gravitational pull due to heavenly objects.
2. A vacuum on Earth. Here, gravity will pull the bullet down. The bullet, as long as there is no air resistance (its in a vacuum, right?) will continue at the x velocity indefinitely as the force in the negative y direction due to gravity pulls it down at 9.8m/s^2. So it would continue at that velocity until it hit the ground.
3. No vacuum on Earth. The same as in 2. except the air pressure acts as resistance against the bullet, further slowing it down in the x direction. They both drop in the y direction the same speed because the gravity force pulling them down is the same. The air resistance against a bullet in the y direction is negligble, but if you wanted to get REAL technical, I guess you could figure it in.
AKElroy
Member
It will hit the ground at the exact instant it would have if it were dropped, fired in the atmosphere, or fired in a vaccuum. Without wind resistance, it will be traveling at a higher velocity forward when it strikies the ground, so it should cover more distance, but strike it it will in the same amount of time.
What everyone else said. It will continue on (assuming no gravity) indefinitely until it ruins someone's day. With no force acting to slow the bullet down, it will keep going and going and going, until some force slows it down, be it dust, gravity, or hitting something at high velocity. All per Newton's first law of motion. Which also means that Sir Isaac Newton is the deadliest sonuva***** in the universe.
Geckgo
Member
it becomes blatently obvious how many people have not read all our our fun posts and keep posting the same thing. I don't remember the OP saying anything about this bullet in space, but then perhaps my memory has gone bad.
SARDiver
Member
Okay, I'm going to buck conventional wisdom here. I read through the responses and didn't see this mentioned. My apologies if I missed it.
I'm an aerospace engineer, but deal mostly with systems, avionics, other military stuff...I'm not an "aerodynamicist". I have actually had to design airplanes for projects, etc. That said:
The bullet fired in the vacuum will travel farther, but whether they hit the ground at the same time is due to the winds involved and the time they have to act on the projectile. I read the question and immediately thought of the "Magnus effect"; that is: A rotating cylinder will generate lift. I wondered if the rotation of the bullet would cause a slight lift to be generated. There would have to be a crosswind, and it would have to be in the proper orientation to the spin imparted to the projectile. I also wonder about gyroscopic precession being a factor, and perhaps causing a vertical cant to the round fired in the atmosphere.
Anyway, not gonna give it too much thought, but I'm chucking that out there.
I'm an aerospace engineer, but deal mostly with systems, avionics, other military stuff...I'm not an "aerodynamicist". I have actually had to design airplanes for projects, etc. That said:
The bullet fired in the vacuum will travel farther, but whether they hit the ground at the same time is due to the winds involved and the time they have to act on the projectile. I read the question and immediately thought of the "Magnus effect"; that is: A rotating cylinder will generate lift. I wondered if the rotation of the bullet would cause a slight lift to be generated. There would have to be a crosswind, and it would have to be in the proper orientation to the spin imparted to the projectile. I also wonder about gyroscopic precession being a factor, and perhaps causing a vertical cant to the round fired in the atmosphere.
Anyway, not gonna give it too much thought, but I'm chucking that out there.
Sam Cade
Member
Its been done. The Soviets even played around with a 23mm autocannon.
A bet you a dollar that some defense satellites are weaponized against seizure.
Ignition Override
Member
Objects such as wings encounter three kinds of drag:
Form, parasitic and induced drag (angle of attack: this creates lift).
A bullet is slowed by form drag and if it wobbles, it is also slowed by induced drag.
Imagine how much further a 23 mm shell fired from a 'Shilka' at the top (about 29,000' msl) of Mt. Everest might go?
Form, parasitic and induced drag (angle of attack: this creates lift).
A bullet is slowed by form drag and if it wobbles, it is also slowed by induced drag.
Imagine how much further a 23 mm shell fired from a 'Shilka' at the top (about 29,000' msl) of Mt. Everest might go?
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SARDiver
Member
If it "wobbles"? That would imply lift, as induced drag is a direct byproduct of lift. Forgive me, but I'm not sure what your point is.
Chief_Cabioch
Member.
A Bullet fired in space (Vacuum)would tend to travel till it hit something.
cardinalfan
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Would it fire at all? If fired in a 'vacuum' environment, there is no oxygen (needed for combustion) so how could 'fire' occur?
Buzzard II
Member
I think you guys have way too much time on your hands! Go out and do something constructive. LOL
SARDiver
Member
You're right. There's no way you could stuff a rifle in a vacuum. I mean, maybe one of those Orecks or Dysons with a big bag, but it would really have to be a big vacuum.
Loosedhorse
member
Firing into a vacuum would damage the vacuum. If you now send it or drive it to a repair shop, that bullet will travel for miles in a vacuum.
*The air-resistance equation goes kinda funky in the perisonic range.
Yep, air resistance is like other friction forces: the higher the speed, the more friction*. For most of its flight (if fired from "usual" distances above ground) the horizontal velocity from the propellant will be greater than vertical velocity from gravity.
*The air-resistance equation goes kinda funky in the perisonic range.
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zfk55
Member
Yes and no. Once ignited, the Potrzbie effect on the Frannis would propel the projectile into a non-static state of Fonebone. That would negate the up/down effect of monchitudinal effect of resistance.
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Cluster Bomb
Member
I dunno...take one out to the range and shoot it...see if the bullet travels further...
it most certainty would....
smokeless powder contains 'oxidizers' .......which not surprisingly supply the oxygen needed for combustion.
modern firearms can be fired under water......and im pretty sure we all agree theres not a ton of usable oxygen down there.
zfk55
Member
Machts nichts. A rifle cannot be fired in a vaccum, for obvious reasons.
If I might be so bold........
Its a common mistake for an American to spell it that way, but actually it's Macht nichts.
If I might be so bold........
Its a common mistake for an American to spell it that way, but actually it's Macht nichts.
Good grief! Enough already!
I'm not sure how many different ways the answer "Yes" can be expressed, but this thread is approaching a new record, I'm sure. I refuse to let it reach four pages.
I'm not sure how many different ways the answer "Yes" can be expressed, but this thread is approaching a new record, I'm sure. I refuse to let it reach four pages.
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