# Can I cut air? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199 "2007-03-01T19:50:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/21 "2007-03-02T15:54:55Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] Not _molecular_ bonds, I don’t think. [/QUOTE] You are definitely cutting molecular bonds when you cut a carrot. Singular these bonds are weak but collectly they are very strong. Think about the strength of a toothpick compared to a 2x4. A sharper knife will cut the carrot better because the narrow edge has to cut few cellulose molecules. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/22 "2007-03-02T16:01:27Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] Cutting the wind results in tiny little sonic booms. [/QUOTE] Tiny for you, maybe. Me, I rattle the windows. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/23 "2007-03-02T16:22:53Z")
You can’t cut air; it’s already cut up; just like you can’t burn water -it’s already burnt. ETA: Yes, I know you can burn it in an atmosphere of fluorine or some such. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/24 "2007-03-02T17:04:02Z")
[QUOTE=solkoe] You are definitely cutting molecular bonds when you cut a carrot. Singular these bonds are weak but collectly they are very strong. Think about the strength of a toothpick compared to a 2x4. A sharper knife will cut the carrot better because the narrow edge has to cut few cellulose molecules. [/QUOTE] IANAC but I am not so sure these are molecular bonds. I think they are mechanical bonds rather than chemical bonds. Perhaps a chemist can comment. A knife isn’t cutting cellulose molecules, it’s separating cellulose fibers, which at some level are strands of molecules, but the knife never cuts a molecule apart. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/25 "2007-03-02T18:09:43Z")
No, but you can break wind. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/26 "2007-03-02T19:32:38Z")
The molecules in a carrot are relatively small compared to the surface of a sharp knife. You can’t cut molecules with a knife any more than you can cut a watermelon with a baseball bat. I’m not saying you aren’t breaking any bonds when you cut a carrot, but mostly I think you are just pushing them aside. ---
**Author:** ![ShiefferSaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@ShiefferSaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShiefferSaw)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/27 "2007-03-02T20:12:30Z")
Im no scientist, but from what I remember about high school chemistry, you would not be breaking any molecular bonds. Molecular bonds are bonds between atoms where electrons are shared. When you cut a carrot, you are breaking bonds between the carrot cells. I believe cells are held together by cytoskeleton which is basically small protein fibers that adhere to surrounding cells. A knife going through a carrot crushed cells and cytoskeletal bonds resulting in… a cut carrot. Anyways, I didnt see an introduction board so I decided I’d just say hello here. My name is Matt and I live in Washington, DC. I work in marketing, play soccer and golf, and am a big Redskins fan (although theres been nothing to cheer about for a few years now). See ya around… ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/28 "2007-03-02T20:29:18Z")
“Cut my milk!” “I can’t sir, it’s liquid!” “Imbecile! freeze it then cut it! You two…Fight to the death!” _cue star trek battle music_ But could you possibly freeze air then cut it? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/29 "2007-03-02T20:42:31Z")
> [@](#): > > But could you possibly freeze air then cut it? Of course you can. See my post #10. Of course, at their freezing temperatures, a lot of the gases, held together only by Van der Waals forces, have the consistency of Jello. Cutting it is not a very satsfying experience. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/30 "2007-03-02T21:08:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know what your definition of a chemical bond is but as far as I know there is no kind of bond in the solid phase that doesn’t also exist in the gas and liquid phase. The usual suspects: covalent, ionic, or metallic bonds between molecules. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/31 "2007-03-02T21:38:24Z")
> [@](#): > > The usual suspects: covalent, ionic, or metallic bonds between molecules. And which of these bonds is not available in the gas phase? Admitedly ionic would be quite rare, but since thats not really a bond so much as one species giving it’s electrons to another. I must admit, I don’t know what you are talking about when you say “metallic bonds between molecules”. My point was, that these bonds are perfectly viable in the gas phase so saying you can’t cut through air because the bonds don’t exist in the gas and liquid phase is wrong. Certainly when you cut through a polymer you are breaking bonds, but when you cut through a solid composed of small molecules you are mainly just pushing the molecules out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![ShiefferSaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@ShiefferSaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShiefferSaw)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/32 "2007-03-02T21:51:21Z")
Thinking about this more… how can you freeze air. Once you freeze it its not “air” anymore. SO were asking if its posible to cut through a cube of frozen oxygen, nitrogen and CO2 block… right? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/33 "2007-03-02T21:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Thinking about this more… how can you freeze air. Once you freeze it its not “air” anymore. SO were asking if its posible to cut through a cube of frozen oxygen, nitrogen and CO2 block… right? Sure it is – a frozen parfait is still a parfait, even though it’s in layers, and frozen. Frozen Air is like Ogres. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/34 "2007-03-02T22:02:41Z")
[QUOTE=ShiefferSaw] Anyways, I didnt see an introduction board so I decided I’d just say hello here. My name is Matt and I live in Washington, DC. I work in marketing, play soccer and golf, and am a big Redskins fan (although theres been nothing to cheer about for a few years now). See ya around… [/QUOTE] Hi Matt. If you really want a proper welcome, post your introduction over on MPSIMS. That’s where we keep the goats. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199/35 "2007-03-02T23:02:07Z")
Some years back, there was a fanciful story published in the National Knife Collectors Association magazine about _The Water-Cutting Knife_. A fellow was hiding out in the wilderness because he had made the WCK. This is not simply cutting a swath through water. You can do that with a canoe paddle. He had made a blade so sharp that a thin stream of water aimed at the blade would disappear into hydrogen and oxygen. The story dissolved into a predictable pursuit by folks from the Dept. of Defense and Big Energy, but the concept was very cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-cut-air/394199.md?page=1)