What would happen to “Water” --- if poured in outer space?
We are very lucky that water is found in all its three states (i.e. solid, liquid and gas) on the Earth.
But we often mesmerize what would happen if we pour water in the dark, cold and vacuum outer space?
Before answering the question, first let us find out the factors on which the state of water depends.
State of water depends on the two factors: Temperature and Pressure.
At lower temperature water remains in solid state (ice) and in higher temperature in gaseous state (water vapour) when there is a constant pressure.
On the other hand, when there is high pressure water tends to be in solid state, at normal atmospheric pressure water remains in liquid form and at very low pressure water starts boiling and then turns into gaseous form, provided that there is a constant temperature in all the cases.
As we know that outer space is vacuum, so there is no atmospheric pressure (that is why astronauts need to wear space suits). And the temperature in outer space is very very low (-455° F).
So, what will happen to water in the outer space?
Will it vapourize? Or will it freeze?
Well strangely enough, the answer is first one then the other.
We may find that due to no pressure in outer space vacuum, the water will boil violently and turn into vapour.
But the story doesn’t end here, again due to very very cold environment the water vapour will freeze immediately and will form very small ice crystals. It will look like a cloud of very fine crystals of ice, similar to a snow.
So, if water is poured in outer space, it will neither form vapour nor ice, it will form a snow like structure!
The astronauts have observed it when their urine get expelled from the ship………forming “a cloud of very fine crystals of frozen urine”!
Well it will be awesome phenomena to watch. Well someone has done almost the same thing on the Earth. What will happen if you take boiling water and, and on a very, very cold day, throw it up in the air?
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Thanks :)
Well water is the basic element of life. So its a request to all: please save water, please save nature. :)