Space/science question?

Question

In space where there is no oxygen could a gun fire, or mining operations be carried out on the moon with explosives to move rock??

Answer 1

the engines (rockets?) fired on the Apollo L.E.M.'s...so my 'guess' is yes...but did they make any noise?

Answer 2

Yes for both. Gun powder caries everything it needs with it to shoot a bullet. It would actually probably move faster on the moon because of it being almost a perfect vacuum.

As for the explosives, this would present a minor problem. You couldn't light a fuse. But you could still set an explosive off. It will still explode, but there will be no fire. The force will still be exerted.

Answer 3

Yes, a gun can fire, as the explosion that fires the bullet doesn't require oxygen from an external source.  The gunpowder supplies all it needs.

And, yes - dynamite is the same way - it doesn't matter if the box is sealed or not, if you drop nitroglycerin, it's going to explode. (dynamite sweats nitroglycerin...)

One thing about using explosives on the moon - there's no air resistence to slow the particles rushing from the blast, and likewise, little gravity to change their direction, so.... you'll have to be *far* away from the blast when it goes off.

Don't say I didn't warn you....

Answer 4

Yes in both cases. The gunpowder in a bullet does not require gaseous oxygen - it has its own oxidant right in the powder. The same is true for many types of explosives. Your traditional old west movie-style "stick of dynamite" would be problematic because you wouldn't be able to light the fuse, but other types of explosives that use electric blasting caps would work fine.

Answer 5

yes, gun powder has its own oxidizer (supplies its own oxygen). That why the closed system in a bullet can react without oxygen.

Answer 6

Most explosives supply their own oxygen in the form of oxygenated compounds and work very well in a vacuum.

The characteristic noise from a rocket engine firing is actually the supersonic plume hitting the ambient air.  Where there is no ambient air, there is nothing for the plume to hit to create the noise.  Steady-state combustion in a rocket engine is relatively smooth.  "Noisy" combustion even without the plume impact effect would suggest something wrong with the engine.