> Hi all,
> This may sound like a dumb question, and I may be just thinking illogically
> due to too much thinking, but what is a vacuum? To be clear, I am not
> speaking of the ether/Aether/ZPE or anything along those lines, but
> strictly a vacuum as the absence of matter. To start, I will explain what
> got me thinking about this. I was thinking about density, and balloons
> (helium, hot air, or whatever) and how a balloon can lift weight. Again to
> be clear, I understand how that works (the total density of the balloon and
> the payload it is carrying, is less than the weight of the air it
> displaces) This got me thinking of a theoretical vacuum balloon. What I
> mean by this, is a hollow object made of a lightweight, rigid material
> (strong enough to not collapse under the inside vacuum pressure), but
> large enough to displace more air than it's weight (picture a helium
> balloon, filled with nothing (a vacuum), instead of helium, weighing the
> same (the balloon material itself), but strong enough to maintain the size
> and shape it would be when filled with enough helium to float... again
> remember this is just imaginary). Would this vacuum balloon float?
Hi Russel. No go. The external pressure would be approximatelly 15 psi at the
earth surface. To make a vacuum vessel requires a lot of material for the shell
to give it a sufficient strength to contain vacuum, and therefore weight. This
keeps it at a mind experiment level.
> I
> think that it would float for the same reason the helium balloon floats,
> but this got me thinking about other strange things. One question it
> brought to mind is, what happens to a vacuum when it is filled with air?
> Does the vacuum just disappear? or does it rise up into space where it is
> at an equal density with it's surroundings? Thinking about that question
> led to another question, if atoms are always moving about, what are they
> moving in? What is in between the molecules of water, air, etc... If it
> is a vacuum, then why do they not sink down (being more dense than a
> vacuum) and take up all the space, until they can no longer move about?
> Picture oil floating on water, and then imagine air as a liquid, floating
> at a higher level because it is less dense, and helium at a higher level,
> etc., etc.
This is actually a question of a genius. Russell, that question of yours might
mean that a gas or liquid or solid at zero Kelvin should have the absolute
density of a black hole.
Anyone able to have an educated comment on that?
> Anyway, I think you get the idea.... I apologize if I am
> talking non-sense, but as I have stated in the past, sometimes when you
> spend too much time thinking about one thing, non-sense begins to make more
> and more sense. (not to mention that the idea of nothing (a vacuum) being
> able to take up space (well not exactly, but you know what I mean), is a
> weird concept in itself) :) In any case, I am looking forward to your
> responses.
>
> -Russ
>
Regards Slavek.
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