Why do space ships shake when fired upon?

[her209]

Take the Star Trek: The Next Generation, for example. While at red alert, you see the bridge shake (sometimes violently) when it gets hit by enemy fire. Should it do that since there's no gravity? And, yes, I know that there's gravity inside the ship.

 

[Linflas]

Take the Star Trek: The Next Generation, for example. While at red alert, you see the bridge shake (sometimes violently) when it gets hit by enemy fire. Should it do that since there's no gravity? And, yes, I know that there's gravity inside the ship.

Then you answered your own question. Now if we can just figure out how all those explosion sounds we hear are being transmitted in a vacuum.

/thread

 

[CrackRabbit]

Because it looks good on TV and in Movies.

 

[Gibsons]

I wanna know why a random control panel always semi explodes and throws a guy a few feet.

 

[Powermoloch]

Because it looks good on TV and in Movies.

^ this :thumbsup:

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Then you answered your own question. Now if we can just figure out how all those explosion sounds we hear are being transmitted in a vacuum.

/thread

Space isn't a total vacuum. And the explosions are really, really, really loud!

 

[FaaR]

Now if we can just figure out how all those explosion sounds we hear are being transmitted in a vacuum.

Of course, when the ship's hit, the sound is being transmitted through the ship's hull, and inside of it there IS air...so you hear sound.

...Or it could just be for dramatic effect, along with the flames and sparks flying out of their instrument consoles. Take your pick.

 

[dighn]

TV sci-fi is terrible sci-fi. don't think too much about it.

but concussive forces from weapon impact/explosions would shake the ship a bit no?

 

[ElFenix]

TV sci-fi is terrible sci-fi. don't think too much about it.

but concussive forces from weapon impact/explosions would shake the ship a bit no?

yes. has nothing to do with (the lack of) gravity.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

What the hell does gravity have anything to do with vibrations? Ever hear of inertia? Kinetic energy? Assuming the projectile has some kind of mass, it will transfer its kinetic energy to the ship. It's the basic premise behine virtually every weapon since the dawn of life. Throw a rock, cause damage.

 

[her209]

Shaking of the space ship implies that the ship is being acted upon two or more forces in different directions, no?

 

[skace]

Well, the ships are being hit by a force (the weapons), my guess is that the energy from the force would be transferred to the ship in some manner and since there is no gravity it would actually have more impact on the ship than it would with gravity.

 

[skace]

Shaking of the space ship implies that the ship is being acted upon two or more forces in different directions, no?

The 2nd force would be the engine or the current trajectory?

 

[her209]

The 2nd force would be the engine or the current trajectory?

Usually they are at full stop.

 

[dighn]

Shaking of the space ship implies that the ship is being acted upon two or more forces in different directions, no?

areas of the ship may oscillate from an abrupt momentum changes. compensation from thrusters may cause shaking. dramatic effects demand this.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Why isn't spaceman here to answer this?

 

[Cogman]

Because hollywood sucks at anything beyond art. Even when they get physics right, they usually find a way to make it oh so wrong.

 

[KB]

I think a better question is how do inertial dampeners get you from 0 ft/sec to several times the speed of light and back without so much as a shake but they can't prevent the shaking when they get hit by a laser.

 

[hanoverphist]

why did the ships drop down before they took off into space in wing commander? there shouldnt have been any gravity to pull them down when they left the flight deck

 

[purbeast0]

i love how ships fall 'down' when destroyed in space.

 

[skace]

I think a better question is how do inertial dampeners get you from 0 ft/sec to several times the speed of light and back without so much as a shake but they can't prevent the shaking when they get hit by a laser.

You know when they say "divert all energy from non critical systems..." ... yea that's the inertial dampers

 

[ichy]

Because space combat scenes that tried to make an even vague attempt to follow the laws of physics would be very, very boring.

 

[Azraele]

Creative license. If it didn't shake, people would want to know why.

 

[Iron Woode]

these type of shows were designed for entertainment, not scientific accuracy.

If they were to be scientifically accurate it would be pretty boring since no object can exceed the speed of light. Not to mention the fact you can't see a beam weapon in space.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Gives the scene a more dramatic effect...nothing more.