if you fired a gun in space would the bullet go any where or would it just tumble around?

Answer 1

It would go straight if there are no massive objects around, and it would never stop until something acted to stop it. If there are massive objects around, its path would be curved by their gravity, and it might even end up orbiting them if it came close enough.

The person who fired the bullet would be pushed backwards a small amount, and probably even start rotating a little. They wouldn't be able to stop this without pushing against something else.

Guns would fire in space because the reaction involved in gunpowder ignition is:
10 KNO3 + 3 S + 8 C → 2 K2CO3 + 3 K2SO4 + 6 CO2 + 5 N

There's no O2 in the first half, which means it doesn't require oxygen gas to work. Instead, it uses the oxygen in KNO3 (potassium nitrate), that way it doesn't need the air to fire.

Answer 2

the idea of the bullet going in an essentially straight line is correct.
To the people who think atmospheric oxygen is necessary. The bullet is used as a cap to protect the power from the effects of rain etc. as well as a projectile. It quite effectively prevents the atmosphere from entering the cartridge until after the powder has already blasted the bullet out of the barrel.
cheers

Answer 3

In space, lack of sufficient atmospheric oxygen may prevent the cartridge from exploding and projecting the bullet forward.

If a special mixture with oxygen is used, an explosion can take place and the bullet gets thrown forward and theoretically will travel at uniform speed in a straight line.

But the radius of a straight line is infinity and the space is infinite and the bullet will travel in a circular path with a radius of infinity and if not destroyed on the way can appear from behind at the completion of one full circle. D A N G E R, GUNNER BEWARE!

But the path of the travelling bullet will get deflected and slowed down by gravitation of stars, planets, etc. etc. and finally come to the end of its present state due one or combination of the following causes i.e. wearing off by friction, melting off or explosion due to radiation, collision with another object, fused into an infant star during its birth, getting entangled in a nova or supernova, or being sucked into a black hole, following the universal law that everything is subject to CHANGE or IMPERMANENCE and DEATH, and to be BORN AGAIN like we ourselves are subjected to.

Answer 4

It would fire because gunpower and cap have their own oxidants (oxygen compounds). The bullet would not accelerate or decelerate. It would keep going until it ran out of space.

The person that fired the gun would also start traveling (slowly) in the opposite direction. The person would probably tumble, unless he/she fired the gun from the exact center of gravity.

Answer 5

I actually think I heard of someone being the first to fire a gun in space. May be wrong. Sounds like something the Russians would do though.

Answer 6

yes, it would fire. Space is a giant vacum, so the bullet would not slow down, it would continue on unless influenced by the gravity of another planet, or if it struck an object.

Answer 7

Yes, it would fire; without any friction or external force acting on the bullet, whatever motion it had upon leaving the muzzle of the gun would continue.

And, gunpowder has it's own oxidizer, so yes - it would fire.

Answer 8

The bullet would travel, perhaps forever, because space is mostly empty, the odds of it hitting anything are very low.

Answer 9

It could potentially go on forever if there was no objetcs in it's way, such as: space dust ect. But the fact is it would go a extremely long distance, but would eventually come to a stop.

Answer 10

Of course it would go somewhere. It would go a lot further than it would on Earth since there's essentially nothing to stop it (no air friction).