• Question: what would happen if you fired a 12 gauge shotgun in space? would the shot all go in slow-motion or would they travel at the normal speed?

    Asked by ThePyroMatt to Andrea, Charlie 🚀, Col Op, Kirsty, Vinita on 17 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Kirsty Lindsay

      Kirsty Lindsay answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      NASA, ESA, JAXA and Roscosmos would tell you off for shooting a hole in their spacecraft!

      It is a great physics question- basically you would get thrown backwards at the same speed as the bullet goes forward- that would be very bad for you, but the bullet would get fired at normal speed.

    • Photo: Charles Laing

      Charles Laing answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      Hi ThePyroMatt,

      If a gun was fired in space (inside the Space Station) it would go at normal speed! However, if you shot a gun out of the Space Station then in theory it would travel faster (no air resistance) and continue forever until another force acted on in.

      In practice, at the height of the Space Station there is still a little air drag so it would eventually slow down.

      Charlie 😀🚀

    • Photo: Andrea Boyd

      Andrea Boyd answered on 19 Jun 2016:

      No air resistance so the bullet would go the same velocity as it was shot out the barrel and keep going forever until it was put on a different course by gravitational force or it hit something with atoms!
      You would go at the same velocity in the equal & opposite direction! Hopefully your spacesuit has a good life support system and food supply or you’re attached to a spacecraft….

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