What Would Happen If You Shot a Gun In Space?

this (from 9:30am this morning)

Don’t take this the wrong way, and I could be out of line here, but this doesn’t seem like one of those topics that might benefit from a discussion. In other words, there is a specific answer, and it’s easily attainable. If you google the exact text of your question, you’ll get the answer. It seems similar to asking what the freezing point of water is.

Well, assuming you have enough available oxygen for the gunpowder to ignite, then it’s pretty much a demonstration of Newton’s third law of motion. In short, the projectile would go one way while the “gun” (and person holding it) would be propelled with equal force the other way.

The offending bullet may ricochet off uranus, leaving a lasting scar.

@tom q thanks i’ll go here Ask the Physicist!
askthephysicist.com/ask_phys_q&a_old3.html

I guess you could say that about most questions asked here ?

Welcome to Fluther, @fredTOG. In fact, we say it (even if only internally) about a lot of questions, hopefully not “most”.

@fredTOG: _”@tom q thanks i’ll go here Ask the Physicist!
askthephysicist.com/ask_phys_q&a_old3.html“_

Ok. See, now I feel bad. You did take offense. Anyway, no need to go there. The link I provided should be sufficient.

@fredTOG: “I guess you could say that about most questions asked here ?”

Not really. There are some that qualify in that category (and I am certainly guilty of this). But most of these questions arrive in the “general” section. And, to be honest, once you’ve been here for a little while, I don’t think people mind answering these types of questions.

<-You Bullet——————>

M(1) x A(1) = M(2) x A(2)

If you Shot a Gun In Space the Bullet would Keep Going one way for All Eternity and you would keep Going the Other Way for All Eternity until Something Stopped Youse Guys.

We can’t shoot at a star.

If you used a Winchester .223 Super Short Magnum during a space walk in Earth’s orbit, the bullet would still never leave the solar system, not even the gravity of Earth. The bullet’s velocity of 2,700 mph is not enough. This is what makes it so hard to get people to the Moon or Mars.

Damn escape velocities.