Buzz
You might have wondered why space, being a vacuum, doesn’t pull us away from Earth like a robot vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt from the carpet. The answer traces back to the origins of the universe and the formation of Earth. Now that Roborock has launched its S8 MaxV Ultra into space, they’re collaborating with Mytour to explain this fascinating question.
What Exactly is a Vacuum?
Before we dive in, let’s first clarify what a vacuum is, and what it isn’t. A vacuum is not a 'thing'; it’s simply the absence of anything. So when people say that 'space is a vacuum,' what they really mean is that it’s mostly empty. For example, if you sealed a bottle on a spacewalk, there would likely be no atoms inside it at all.
Your robot vacuum creates a vacuum in a similar way, but it’s different from the vacuum of space: the dust and debris are pulled into the vacuum due to the pressure difference caused by suction.
The Dense Beginning of the Universe
Space wasn’t always the empty void we see today. For the first 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was filled with a dense, swirling mass of matter, mostly hydrogen. The tightly packed atoms collided constantly, keeping the universe very hot in its early days. As time passed, space expanded, stretching the matter thinner (similar to how spilled soup spreads across a table). This thinning led to a cooling effect, and the matter started to solidify and form distinct structures.
Gravity’s influence over time caused matter to clump together. The first clumps formed by chance, as some regions of space contained slightly more matter than others. Since all matter exerts gravity, the greater the mass in a patch, the stronger the gravitational pull. Over vast periods, these concentrations of matter attracted more matter, and eventually, some clumps became massive enough to collapse into stars. The leftover debris from these stars formed planets, while the vast emptiness of space remained between them.
Gravity is the force that shapes the 'clumps' we live in and prevents things on Earth from flying off into space. While the vacuum of space does exert a pull on the gases in our atmosphere, gravity ensures that the air remains grounded. Just as you can pull your finger out of a vacuum hose with a bit of effort, Earth's gravity keeps the atmosphere intact, preventing it from being sucked into space.
Spacecraft Cabin Pressure
Imagine watching a sci-fi movie where a hole gets blasted in the side of a spaceship and everything starts getting sucked out. This happens because the pressure inside the ship is much higher than the nearly nonexistent pressure in space, so nothing is left to counteract the pull of the vacuum. While all matter is affected by gravity, a spaceship doesn’t have enough mass to pull gas back in—it takes something as massive as Earth.
Space is not entirely empty. If you were to wave a large trash bag instead of a small bottle, you might catch a few hydrogen atoms that have escaped the gravitational pull of the stars and planets. Similar to how the gas of the early universe was extremely hot, the hydrogen scattered in space is so loosely packed that it’s freezing cold.
The vacuum of space also explains why it’s silent. Sound relies on vibrations, and without air molecules to transmit those vibrations, sound cannot travel.
Next time someone brings up the “cold vacuum of space,” you’ll be ready to explain how it became such an unwelcoming environment.
Ready to elevate your cleaning game? Get Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra. This innovative robot vacuum and mop features a FlexiArm Design Side Brush and Extra Edge Mopping System, making it perfect for cleaning corners and other difficult-to-reach places. Plus, it includes a voice assistant to kickstart cleaning tasks—no WiFi required. You can find the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra on Roborock’s official website.
