Cannon Ball in Space: What Happens & How Much Does It Hurt?

[air-in]

What would happen if you were shot with a cannon ball in space? How badly do you reckon it would hurt, compared to if you were shot with the same cannon ball on Earth?

 

[dipole]

Why do you think there should be any appreciable difference?

 

[DaveC426913]

Why do you think it might be different?

[EDIT] D'oh!

 

[davenn]

LOL ... "snap" is the operative word ;)

 

[PJC01]

I can provide a factual response to this question. If a cannon ball were to be shot in space, it would continue to travel in a straight line at a constant speed due to the absence of air resistance and gravity. This means that it would not experience any external force to change its trajectory, unlike on Earth where gravity would eventually cause it to fall back to the ground.

If a human were to be hit by a cannon ball in space, the impact would be similar to being hit by a large, heavy object at a high velocity. This could potentially cause serious injuries or even death. However, the lack of air resistance in space would mean that there would be no drag force to slow down the cannon ball, resulting in a higher impact force compared to being hit on Earth where air resistance would slow it down.

In terms of pain, it is difficult to accurately predict as pain is subjective and can vary from person to person. However, based on the increased impact force, it is likely that being hit by a cannon ball in space would result in a more severe and potentially fatal injury compared to being hit on Earth.

In conclusion, being shot with a cannon ball in space would result in a higher impact force and potentially more severe injuries compared to being hit on Earth due to the absence of air resistance and gravity. It is important to note that this scenario is highly unlikely as there are no known instances of cannon balls being fired in space.