Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Chris on 21/06/2009 16:30:02
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Chris asked the Naked Scientists:
Hi all,
I was listening to the naked scientist podcast (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) last weekend and the subject of how much does air weigh was raised. I can't recall the exact figures but it was quoted that "the weight of air is the equivalent of having ten elephants on your shoulders" My question is, if this is the weight of the air above you, and your blood pressure is in relation to this, then why don't we explode when we go indoors because of the protection from this pressure from our houses?"
Great listening! (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) Thanks
Regards
Chris
What do you think?
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because there is still air inside! its like if you are scuba diving, and you swam into a cave, you're still underwater, and there is still pressure on you.
is it really that much? thats a lot...
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The air pushes through doors, windows etc, all the time to make the pressure the same everywhere at the same level. It doesn't just act downwards. It acts in all directions.
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What about when you're on a space station ?...erhmm..in space of course !
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The life support systems provide the pressure and the envelope, hopefully, doesn't leak.
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I'm glad the life support also supplies an envelope, because I love writing letters on the space station. [;)]
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You can tell he's baaaack, folks.
(Mint sauce to you, boyo)
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The life support systems provide the pressure and the envelope, hopefully, doesn't leak.
apparently, even in a vacuum, you dont explode. i was going to mention this before, but i didnt think it would last this long.
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, a HIGHLY (just had to emphasise that :P) respected doctor and scientist states in his book "Disinformation" (at least i think its this one, he has so many!) that you just expand slightly, not explode.
people are made of tougher stuff.
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If you don't breathe out, your diaphragm / plural membranes will burst - if you could call that an explosion. Then there would be a lot of farting during the rapid decompression but that would be the least of your worries.
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.... Then there would be a lot of farting during the rapid decompression but that would be the least of your worries.
"....Then there would be a lot of farting....."
Nothing unusual there!!!
".....that would be the least of your worries."
Not if you followed through it wouldn't! Where do you get clean undies in space? Mars & Spencer?