Can you vacuum in space?

And if so, what would happen?

[Syzygy]

Our flat was burgled last Friday. Being on the top floor, rather than break through the door (which would attract too much attention), the burglars craftily managed to get into the loft space, make their way across the rafters and smash their way through the ceiling - directly underneath our new leather sofa.

It was a very messy affair, there was dust, soot (from disused chimneys) and debris everywhere. We've spent four days cleaning up.

At some point through all the hoovering, dusting, mopping, brushing and more, an abstract thought, inspired by our aged-but-trustworthy vacuum cleaner, popped up. This though begot the following question:

Can you use a vacuum cleaner in space, and if so, what would happen?

We're intrigued to know. Also, the question raises other questions, for example:

* if the vacuum cleaner were a powerful model would there be a risk of creating a black hole?
* could you counteract the gravitational pull of celestial bodies with a hoover?
* could the vacuum cleaner offer a new mode of interstellar transport, based on the force of pull rather than the conventional push methods of propulsion?
* would the hoover bag ever fill up?

There must be answers out there...

[LifeinAsia]

Sorry to hear about the break-in and clean-up.

I don't have any answers to your questions, but I bet the true answers will really suck. :)

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

More importantly, and if necessary can you fart in space?

[akmac]

A vacuum cleaner wouldn't do anything in space, as there is no atmosphere.

Well, I guess it would run, if it weren't burnt to a crisp or alternatively frozen solid-but it wouldn't "suck".

They work fine for the interior, but to clean the exterior of my ship I use a damp cloth.

[LifeinAsia]

to clean the exterior of my ship I use a damp cloth.

How do you keep the water in the cloth from boiling away? Don't forget- water boils at a much lower temperature in a vacuum.

[akmac]

Freezing actually presents a greater problem. It's always a trick to calculate my course and speed to remain in the correct position of a planet's umbra.

[arieng]

A vacuum can not suck in a vacuum.

[Marshall]

Forgive the side-track, but this reminds me of:

You are traveling in a space ship at the speed of light and turn on the head lights. What happens to the light?

Then again, space is soooooo over my head (get it - space - over my head)

Beam me up Scotty!

[phranque]

regarding hoover transport, you could probably use the spinning motor as an aid to direction and/or stability.
without air movement, there's not much propulsion happening.
space is a perfect vacuum .
the vacuum cleaner's blower motor provides lower than atmospheric pressure by moving air.
in space it would simply spin without moving air.
if you had the vacuum running in an atmospheric environment and "stuck the nozzle out into space" then space would actually suck the available air from the nozzle.
similarly if one were to venture into space without the benefit of a pressurized suit, all the farts would be sucked out, along with flying monkeys and pretty much everything else...

[vincevincevince]

* if the vacuum cleaner were a powerful model would there be a risk of creating a black hole?

Based on the fact that space is not a perfect vaccum, and given an infinite run time and massive bag, I don't see why not. I imagine a small black hole maintained within the vacuum cleaner would avoid having to empty it if you then took the machine back to earth.

* could you counteract the gravitational pull of celestial bodies with a hoover?

I vote yes.

* could the vacuum cleaner offer a new mode of interstellar transport, based on the force of pull rather than the conventional push methods of propulsion?

Given a vaccum cleaner big enough... it sounds feasible!

* would the hoover bag ever fill up?

Yes... see the fact referred to for question one.

Sorry to hear about your breakin. How did he get into the loft space in the first place?

[Essex_boy]

Ive come across this before, rented out an entire row of Victorian houses and my tenants kept getting broken in to.

problem for the Police was that there wasnt an obvious means of entry, transpired that the thief was a neighbour climbing in to his loft area and crawling across.

can you fart in space? - You know that has never ever crossed my mind.

[zCat]

You are traveling in a space ship at the speed of light and turn on the head lights. What happens to the light?

If my understanding is correct, the light will travel infinitesimally slowly and will be very dim because the mass of the spaceship will have increased vastly. This is the cause of much intergalactic roadkill, as spaceships travelling at high speed are unable to see what's ahead of them.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

can you fart in space? - You know that has never ever crossed my mind.

Might make you cross your eyes. :)

[lawman]

>>More importantly, and if necessary can you fart in space?

Who'd wanna fart in their space suit? :)

[LifeinAsia]

can you fart in space?

If you can, no one would hear it.

[limbo]

agreed. In space no-one can hear you fart.

[Webwork]

Space sucks!

[jsinger]

can you fart in space?

If you can, no one would hear it.

Take into account the sound dampening effect of those now-famous astronaut diapers