Out the airlock: Difference between revisions
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I've wondered more than once about just how inaccurate movies are on this, and whether some get it quite right, and how we could even tell. | I've wondered more than once about just how inaccurate movies are on this, | ||
and whether some get it quite right, and how we could even tell. | |||
I take the angle of "what would be the right thing to do in the situation", so maybe I consider this less morbid than | I take the angle of "what would be the right thing to do in the situation", | ||
YMMV, just saying. | so maybe I consider this less morbid than you might. YMMV, just saying. | ||
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At any time, you would have about a dozen seconds worth of readily available oxygen in your bloodstream. | At any time, you would have about a dozen seconds worth of readily available oxygen in your bloodstream. | ||
Also, your muscles have a little buffered ATP so will function for a | A ''bunch'' more if you're not doing much - "how long can you hold your breath" is a good indication. | ||
Also, your muscles have a little buffered ATP, so they will function for a little while without ''immediate'' oxygen supply, | |||
though after that, they quickly weaken{{verify}}. | |||
You may have a little usable air in your lungs too, but this won't help much. | You may have a little usable air in your lungs too, but this won't help much. | ||
At close to zero pressure, your lungs do not function (water now seems to boil at a temperature lower than the human body, and your lung's membranes rely on that water ''being there'' to function{{verify}}). | At close to zero pressure, your lungs do not function (water now seems to boil at a temperature lower than the human body, and your lung's membranes rely on that water ''being there'' to function{{verify}}). | ||
Even if you had an oxygen hose pumping air into your lungs, you could not absorb the oxygen - in a low-to-no pressure environment, an oxygen mask would need to present high enough [[partial pressure]] for you to actually absorb any present oxygen. | |||
Could you hold your breath? Somewhat. | |||
Gasping in the maximum amount of air is actually a ''bad'' idea, because gas laws says that the pressure difference imply expansion, which can be enough to rupture your lungs and possibly more of you, doing much more damage than that oxygen is worth. | Gasping in the ''maximum'' amount of air is actually a ''bad'' idea, because gas laws says that the pressure difference imply expansion, which can be enough to rupture your lungs and possibly more of you, doing much more damage than that oxygen is worth. | ||
Maybe half a lung{{verify}} will still help, or maybe allowing it to escape you, is much better. | Maybe half a lung{{verify}} will still help, or maybe allowing it to escape you, is much better. | ||
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If you ''do'' see it coming you can extend it a little - but not by much. | If you ''do'' see it coming you can extend it a little - but not by much. | ||
Relaxing means less oxygen use by muscles. | Relaxing means less oxygen use by muscles. Taking a few deep breaths gets rid of some CO2 (more than it increases available oxygen{{verify}}) | ||
Remember that even average people can hold their breath for a minute or two - but only when not moving. | Remember that even average people can hold their breath for a minute or two - but only when not moving. | ||
Latest revision as of 22:23, 27 June 2024
✎ This article/section is a stub — some half-sorted notes, not necessarily checked, not necessarily correct. Feel free to ignore, or tell me about it.