2006-09-29 02:28:31 · 39 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
In space...no one can hear you fart...
2006-09-29 02:30:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are several points to consider here:-
a - Is space really a vacuum?
b - If it is, can sound travel in a vacuum?
c - what is a fart made of and does that affect a)
d - If you opened your space-suit in order to fart into space, would you survive long enough to release it?
e - Are you going to take your helmet off in order to listen?
a - No. Space is pretty nearly a vacuum compared to the earth atmosphere, but it is not entirely empty.
b - No. Sound requires material to travel through. Typically, we think of sound travelling through gas, but it is generally much better at travelling through liquids and solids. Unfortunately, there isn't enough matter in space to transmit sound.
c - A fart is made of gas, therefore as it is released into space (traditionally in a series of bursts caused by the vibration of the anal sphincter) it would expand away from its point of origin. If there was a vibration sensor close by (like someone's ear-drum) it might well detect the gas expanding away in pulses. However, unless it was a truly huge release, it would have to be a very sensitive device placed very close to the point of origin.
d - This has to be a yes, since the pressure inside your body would probably force out the fart and a great deal more than you bargained for, but who in there right mind would pull a moony in space? If not, then the fart would actually be released into the suit and the occupant would be able to hear it fine (and quite possibly smell it) depending on the design of the suit having a continuous air space with the helmet.
e - Well if d) was a no, then e) truly has to be a huge no no no. Come on - if some dopey git was actually going expose their hairy cheeks in space, surely there wouldn't be another utter prat close by who was prepared to pull off their helmet in order to bend down behind them and listen.
So, in order for the overall answer to be "yes" we would need:-
- A specially designed space suit, with some sort of fart release device fitted
- A very sensitive listening device very close outside the opening
I can't ever see NASA paying for such an experiment and I can't two people stupid enough to try it "manually", so I am going with theoretically possible, but practically a "no".
2006-09-29 04:01:52 · answer #2 · answered by Robin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer is unfortunately, no. For your ears to register sound the ear drum must vibrate. On Earth this vibration is caused by the sound waves travelling through the air from the source. Sound waves can travel through any medium, not just air, such as water and even solid rock. However as there is no such medium in space ( a vacuum) there is nothing for the sound waves to travel through.
If you were to fart inside your space suite however you would be able to hear it as there would be air within the suite with you.
2006-09-29 02:57:37 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Mayor! 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you could but I think your fart would just linger in a little invisible bubble floating forever around the Earth and your bum when it opens to let the fart out would fill with space and it would be like a vacuum up there.
2006-09-30 04:43:42 · answer #4 · answered by Princess415 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could not hear it but you could smell it and because of this you spend most of the time looking for the person who did it rather than the theory of sonics and the reason of not being able to hear in space. as it is a vacuum the the sound waves have nothing to reverberate and so you cannot hear.
2006-09-29 21:46:31 · answer #5 · answered by I am always right 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope. It is not possible to fart in space, as anyone in a vacuum would be ripped apart by the lack of pressure before getting the chance to fire a salvo
2006-09-29 03:14:36 · answer #6 · answered by Kiwi Chicken 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If gas is suddenly released into the vacuum of space, it will form a sphere of higher density that expands at the speed of sound. The relevant soundspeed is the average speed of molecules in the gas. If there is a sensitive pressure detector nearby, that detector could easily detect the increase in pressure as the surface of the sphere propagated past, and it may very well detect subsquent quasi-periodic pressure maxima within the expanding sphere of gas. So, in a word, yes.
2006-09-29 02:50:15 · answer #7 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might, as the vibration would carry through your body to some degree. But no one else could.
Still, what are you doing out there in space in a vacuum? Flatulence is the least of your worries.
2006-09-29 05:58:52 · answer #8 · answered by Zhimbo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No because there is nothing for the sound to travel through. But the fart molecules would obey Newton's law of motion and continue travelling in a straight line at the same speed. So if you were in their path ....
2006-09-29 02:32:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as you can smell it you will hear it... the sound waves would be able to travel through the fart, but you have to be quick not to get sucked in by the vacume and end up with your fart.
2006-09-29 04:29:46 · answer #10 · answered by Joe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you fart in your suit (Or space craft), you would hear it. If the guy that farted had a microphone in his suit you could hear it through your radio.
If your intention was to fart whilst being naked in space, you would be dead before you could let rip
2006-09-29 04:51:34 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋