Firing a gun on Mars?

Question

Just suppose, if you could, be sent to Mars for an example. Shot a gun off and say it was a 22 calibre. How far would the bullet go, would it go faster or slower than on earth. Would the explosion of the bullet be more or less intense than here on earth. Mars was just an example, if anyone knows more about this if it happened on another planet please let me know? Thanks.

Answer 1

Wow...you sure picked up some weird answers from a rather simple question...

A 22 Caliber bullet fired from a gun would go farther on Mars because of the less dense atmosphere could not slow it down as fast, and bullet drop would be less because of the lesser gravity on Mars.

One chap was correct when he said that there would be less fire visable from the bullet powder explosion... less atmosphere on Mars, and only a tiny bit of oxygen.

There are no laws about guns on Mars that I am aware of as a normal man in the street, but NASA and all the Government dudes would probably have a gigantic hissy fit if they discovered someone packing a piece on a Space Mission to Mars, or anywhere else. All they need is for some whacko to blow a hole in the space ship and the whole event becomes a total loss.

Answer 2

a bullet is a self contained apparatus. basically in theory it could be fired anywhere.

the bullet would move faster on mars because there is less air there to slow it down. it would take longer for the bullet to hit the ground though if it was fired horizontally, so the bullet would stay in the air for longer and have a flatter trajectory.

the explosion should be about the same but with less fire outside of the barrel. since there wouldn't be oxygen to burn (the gunpowder can burn by itself but the muzzle flash you see from most guns requires oxygen outside of the gun.

on venus the bullet would go slower due to the denser atmosphere, it would also melt pretty quick.

Answer 3

Since there is less gravity it would travel further and would also travel further in mars atmosphere. It's average speed maybe faster but it will not have a higher top speed since the muzzle velocity is it's top speed and the muzzle velocity is a characteristic of the gun and bullets. So the top speed would be the same. I'm not sure what the explosion would be like.

Answer 4

Since the launching propellant exploding sequence occurs in a more-or-less closed chamber, the launching speed will be the same.
However, Mars gravity, being about 3/8th that of the earth, will allow the bullet to travel further, since the term "a" in (vo - a * t), which indicates the velocity in a vertical direction, is 3/8th that on earth. Also, with less atmospheric resistance, the "drag" on the bullet will be reduced (this factor is usually ignored in basic physics questions).

Answer 5

I just wanted to comment on an answer above stating that space has no gravity. That statement is completely untrue. If there were no gravity in space, then nothing would orbit anything. Astronauts experience microgravity during space flights because they are being accelerated in a manner identical to every surrounding - so they feel no force between them and their spacecraft. Gravity holds both the spaceship AND its contents squarely in orbit. There's enough gravity out there to hold entire galaxies together!

As far as Martian marksmanship goes, I feel that the muzzle velocity would be slightly higher on Mars due to the decreased air pressure in front of the bullet as it is accelerated down the barrel of the gun. I could be wrong, but in physics, every little force counts, and this is one force that would be lower there.

The lower gravity would indeed allow for a longer flight time, as well as the reduced atmospheric drag.

Answer 6

Hello,

As far as I understand it. The earth has a gravitational aura that draws everything within that environment, towards the earth eventually.

Shooting a bullet or warhead skywards, will send that bullet or warhead some distance into orbit, but it will eventually fall right back towards the earth.

Why?
Because of the gravitational pull of the earth.

When you leave earth's gravitational field, you are into SPACE.

And this region has no gravity.

Therefore, a shot fired within this region will move very slowly indeed.

And eventually continue moving for as long as it physically lasts.

BringBaka.

Answer 7

Your answer is that it would do almost nothing. There is no O2 (oxygen) on Mars' surface. There would be very little O2 contained in the catridge itself. The gunpowder would not burn except for the tiny amount allowed by the O2 in the catridge. If, however, it were able to burn normally the other answers are mostly correct. BTW, guns are not illegal, but stupidity should be.

Answer 8

Less gravity and less atmosphere. Bullet would go faster, straighter and farther.
But there is no NRA on Mars, and guns are illegal.
Now death rays, that's a whole 'nother question.

Answer 9

you can't be serious!!
if you are, i think that it would be faster but with less explosion :P
Don't ask me why..