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Will a human body explode in space if sent without
helmet in space? According to me, internal
pressure will be very high and there will be
nothing to balance it so it must explode. If no,
then why? |
Question Date: 2013-10-25 | | Answer 1:
You're right in a certain way, but you may be
disappointed to find out that human bodies will
not explode in space. A human's internal pressure
(the pressure of all of the fluids and gasses in
our bodies) is equal to atmospheric pressure (when
we are here on earth). That is about 14 pounds per
square inch, or 100 MPa. Take a 14 pound weight
and put it on your toe. It may be uncomfortable,
but it certainly won't make it explode. When you
are on earth, the internal pressure in your body
balances the external pressure of the atmosphere,
14 pounds per square inch on either side. In
space, you're right, there is nothing balancing
the pressure from outside your body. But your
internal pressure is still the same, about 14
pounds per square inch (actually the body's
internal pressure can be changed significantly, as
long as it is done gradually). And so you have the
much pressure forcing things out, but luckily you
have skin and a circulatory system and all those
good things that keep the inside of your body
protected from the outside world. Just like
putting a 14 pound weight on your toe won't cause
the skin to burst or rupture, being out in space
won't either. Not for a while anyways. According
to NASA, you'd probably suffocate due to lack of
oxygen before anything else bad happened to
you: read
this
| | Answer 2:
In space, there is no air, so life is
impossible without some sort of support. Contrary
to popular (Hollywood) belief, if an astronaut
were exposed to direct space, he would not
explode. Instead, what would most likely happen
is suffocation due to the lack of oxygen. This
can happen in a matter of seconds, and the person
would lose consciousness quickly. Further,
because there is no air pressure, bodily fluids
would effectively boil away and out of pores and
other exposed openings. This can take some time
longer, around a minute. Tissue expands as a
result of this boiling effect, but it is strong
enough to resist “exploding.” Films that
accurately depict this process include “Mission to
Mars” and “Gravity.”
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