can a true vacuum really exist?

Question

I mean if it were a total vacuum wouldn't the pressure difference between it and the rest of the universe cause it to implode? how could its boundaries be strong enough to maintain it?

Answer 1

i like the way you think, but you need to educate yourself a little more on physics. a vaccum is just that a vaccum, it has no boundries its just emty space. tell you what, you seem like an intelligent person, perhaps you would enjoy a book by timmothy ferris. all of his books are great and informative, my personal favorite is "the whole shebang". this might help you to understand some of the concepts in astronomy cosmology and physics. hope this helps!!!!! and keep thinking like you do!!!!!!

Answer 2

Hello. Your question asks about a "perfect" vacuum. In real life, nothing is perfect, you must first understand and accept that. Now, if you buy that, the question is how close to a perfect vacuum is good enough? Nothing will implode as you suggest once a near perfect vacuum is achieved, but a really good container is needed to contain the evacuated space here on Earth.

In Space, there is this gigantic volume which has only a few molecules of gas here and there. There are so few molecules that there is essentially no atmospheric pressure, not a measureable one anyhow. In certain parts of space there are massive gas clouds where the gas molecules are much denser than in other parts of space, yet, as I said before, it is a all matter of degree. For example, in empty space you might have one hydrogen molecule per cubic yard of space.
In another part of space you might have 100 H2 molecules per cubic yard of space. That is a big difference, but no where close to the Billion, Billion H2 molecules that might be found within the Earth's atmosphere. ...All a matter of degree.

In practice, when you evacuate a chamber, you run the vacuum pumps and filters until you reach a workable vacuum, and then shut them down. The goal of achieveing a "perfect" vacuum is rather a nebulous one...i.e., the benefits do not equal the effort required to achieve the goal. Once you have pumped out almost everything, what is left is so miniscule as to have no bearing on the work you wish to perform within the evacuated chamber. Keep in mind the thought that very few people are concerned about a few "atoms" or "molecules."
99.9 percent of all work performed on Earth follows the pattern suggested above. I would like to hear your ideas on how one might track down and remove the last molecule, or molecules of Hydrogen and/or Nitrogen within a container.
Would you use, for example, a teeny, teeny pair of tweezers to remove them? I am quite serious. How would you suggest that they be removed to form the "perfect" vacuum?

Answer 3

How much force/antiforce do you think there is inside a total vacuum - an infinite amount? How do you measure the amount of vacuum? May be the vacuum does implode over and over again - how would you know - it may not cause the physical restraining apparatus to implode around it. We need some way of measuring just how much/how hcum is going on. It's going to be like measuring what happened before the Big Bang - if Time did not exist before the Big Bang, how can our three dimensional minds (with time as the accepted fourth dimension in space/time) be capable of comprehending what happened before Time existed?

Answer 4

The pressure isn't the problem, its the difficulty of removing every single atom or ion. We can easily make a near-perfect vacuum and have done for over a hundred years. That extra fraction of a % is not a problem related to the strength of materials.

In the vacuum of space, atoms ping off the surface of metal or other solids. They "boil off". There may be places in between galaxies where there are only a handful of atoms per cubic metre.

Answer 5

Between the Earth and the Moon, you'll find an atom or molecule of something every cm or so. Once you get between the stars, that thins out to maybe an atom or molecule every meter or so. In the spaces between the Galaxies, there may be the better part of a kilometer between stray atoms or molecules. But that *still* isn't a perfect vacuum. It's all a matter of degree.

HTH

Doug

Answer 6

No! not at all would it implode, just so long as the weak force was enough to prevent the implosion!

So: Yes!

After all, what is a vacuum other than a relatively stable bit of empty 'space' between atoms?

("Pressure" doesn't really enter into it, as it refers to interaction between molecules.)

Answer 7

It isn't difficult to have a barrier keep a true vacuum. The pressure difference is not very great even compared to our normal atmosphere.

And most of space has almost a true vacuum anyway.

Answer 8

The pressure in outer space is SOOOOoooooo low that even though it isn't technically zero, it is still such a small number that you need scientific notation just to write it. Also, in interstellar space there is about one hydrogen atom per cubic centimeter, so there are half centimeter volumes all over the place that are in fact perfect vacuums.

Answer 9

Isn't space under "true" vacuume, and pressure existing in the form of atmosphere surrounding planets with gravity?

Answer 10

The whole void of space is a vacuum