Posted on 06/03/2019 1:37:09 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Talk about your heart burn!
I know a few people who might catch on fire this way.
From all the fat greasy food they eat. They say the heart is a muscle. And muscles do get fat.
I think Joseph Priestly discovered that long before Apollo 1.
A cartridge will fire underwater. No external oxygen is needed.
But a shooter in space would get a very bad surprise if he failed to account for the kick.
And Mr. Sung’s dynasty team learned about oxidizes even before that.
Gunpowder and other cartridge loads are self contained in terms of oxidizer in the propellant. Therefore, they will operate properly in the vacuum of space.
To answer your question, you don’t actually need gaseous oxygen for combustion, but if you don’t have that you need some other oxidizer, which is usually a chemical that releases oxygen as part of a reaction with your fuel source.
Gunpowder already contains an oxidizer in the form of saltpetre, or potassium nitrate, so it should still work in outer space. However, if you fire your gun up there you are essentially setting off a very small solid rocket engine, so it will potentially mess up your orbit!
Oh thanks a rot...I have an ascending aortic aneurysm that’s like walking around with a grenade in your chest. Mine has been stable and not growing since discovered in 2008. If ruptures or tears it’s almost always finis. Drs. Monitoring for growth over the years and any further enlargement would mean ye olde chest cracker surgery. Don’t get one of these.
The gun will fire. Gunpowder does not require oxygen or the presence of atmosphere in order to burn. Gunpowder is an explosive based upon nitroglycerin, which does not not burn in the traditional sense. It decomposes into gasses very quickly, adding heat from the broken chemical bonds. A gun can be fired under water.
Smokeless powder does not include oxygen in those molecules. Those are nitrogen based compounds. Smokeless powders are nitroglycerin compounds. Did you notice the “nitro”, for nitrogen?
Smokeless powder is cellulose trinitrate. The oxygen comes from the cellulose and the nitrate radical.
Yay, the prize goes to both of us, just like in soccer.
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