- #1
JeffCyr
- 17
- 0
I'm writing a serialized Steampunk-fantasy story in which the cities float high in the planet's atmosphere using a combination of Magic and technology (sci-fi-ish steampunk technology) Though I want to bring it as close to real science as I can.
From some google searches it seems that a vacuum would be more buoyant than hydrogen due to how low it's density is (functionally 0 if I recall right) So assuming an unobtainium structure to house it, how much mass would a vacuum be capable of support a 1 atmosphere's worth of pressure (assuming average air pressure at sea level on earth) per volume, say 1 cubic meter or such.
(the following is purely context of the story)
The basic idea is to have the artificial landscape (including buildings, greenhouses, people, animals etc) be supported by massive structures of rings towering above it that would function similar to say a blimp's balloon. It would never need to be brought back down to the ground (in fact the whole idea is for the surface to be a long lost thing waterworld style) It will contain some magic and sci-fi to make due for what has yet to be made possible (I.e unobtainium) and if this wouldn't be possible short of having a structure equivalent to a space elevator I'd probably go full fantasy to make it happen anyway, I'd just prefer it be based on science for those few people who read fantasy/scifi and like to ask themselves "would this work?" and do the math.
Thanks!
From some google searches it seems that a vacuum would be more buoyant than hydrogen due to how low it's density is (functionally 0 if I recall right) So assuming an unobtainium structure to house it, how much mass would a vacuum be capable of support a 1 atmosphere's worth of pressure (assuming average air pressure at sea level on earth) per volume, say 1 cubic meter or such.
(the following is purely context of the story)
The basic idea is to have the artificial landscape (including buildings, greenhouses, people, animals etc) be supported by massive structures of rings towering above it that would function similar to say a blimp's balloon. It would never need to be brought back down to the ground (in fact the whole idea is for the surface to be a long lost thing waterworld style) It will contain some magic and sci-fi to make due for what has yet to be made possible (I.e unobtainium) and if this wouldn't be possible short of having a structure equivalent to a space elevator I'd probably go full fantasy to make it happen anyway, I'd just prefer it be based on science for those few people who read fantasy/scifi and like to ask themselves "would this work?" and do the math.
Thanks!