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What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

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Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#31

There were so many wires and electronics in the background and the water was floating everywhere! Nothing to worry?

The ISS is really packed with lots and lots and lots of things. Here's a tour of the space station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afBm0Dpfj_k

The first half hour, I though "Cool" about pretty much everything, after that my head's starting to hurt thinking about all the things the astronauts need to know where is, what is, how it works, what to do.

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#35
post #33

I've noticed in several videos that the crew member appears sweaty or shiny. Is this due to the temperature/humidity in the ISS or because the moisture doesn't evaporate the same way? I'd be interested to know if anyone has an answer.

It might (this is conjecture) also just be because they're not wearing any makeup.

Absolutely everybody you see on TV is wearing tons of makeup, because cameras paired with artificial flourescent spotlight just seem to exaggerate this nasty shiny effect.

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#36
A similar phenomenon makes it dangerous to sleep without proper ventilation:

>It is important that crew accommodations be well ventilated; otherwise, astronauts can wake up oxygen-deprived and gasping for air, because a bubble of their own exhaled carbon dioxide has formed around their heads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station#Cre...

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#37

Very cool. One quibble with the title. This is what happens in zero G, I'd love to see the behaviour in space (outside the capsule) too. Does anyone know off the top of their head the state/behaviour of water in the low temperature and low pressure of space? My prediction for the Zero G experiment was that that it would spray in all directions. [Partial spoiler] I was wrong because I forgot about a critical behaviour…

Apparently, depends on how much sun you get. If you're in relative darkness, the water would disperse and then freeze into droplets. If you have some sun, the ice would vapourize.

http://www.space.com/7274-mystery-explained-glow-night-sky-a...

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#38

Very cool. One quibble with the title. This is what happens in zero G, I'd love to see the behaviour in space (outside the capsule) too. Does anyone know off the top of their head the state/behaviour of water in the low temperature and low pressure of space? My prediction for the Zero G experiment was that that it would spray in all directions. [Partial spoiler] I was wrong because I forgot about a critical behaviour…

The phase diagram[0] for water suggests that it will be frozen at 0 Pa and anything less than 200 K, so it will likely form small ice crystals on the cloth. Then trying to wring out the frozen cloth could prove interesting, though.

[0] http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/phase.html

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#39

Very cool. One quibble with the title. This is what happens in zero G, I'd love to see the behaviour in space (outside the capsule) too. Does anyone know off the top of their head the state/behaviour of water in the low temperature and low pressure of space? My prediction for the Zero G experiment was that that it would spray in all directions. [Partial spoiler] I was wrong because I forgot about a critical behaviour…

It would probably boil off before it would freeze.

Re: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]

#40

Very cool. One quibble with the title. This is what happens in zero G, I'd love to see the behaviour in space (outside the capsule) too. Does anyone know off the top of their head the state/behaviour of water in the low temperature and low pressure of space? My prediction for the Zero G experiment was that that it would spray in all directions. [Partial spoiler] I was wrong because I forgot about a critical behaviour…

The phase diagram[0] for water suggests that it will be frozen at 0 Pa and anything less than 200 K, so it will likely form small ice crystals on the cloth. Then trying to wring out the frozen cloth could prove interesting, though. [0] http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/phase.html

The water won't have less than 200K when you start the experiment though (else you won't have a wet cloth but a frozen cloth), so all the water will boil off almost instantly.
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