# How strong is the vacuum in outer space compared to a vacuum cleaner vacuum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899 "2006-10-25T21:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/1 "2006-10-25T21:57:26Z")
If you could put the void of space inside your Dyson upright as a suction mechanism, how much more powerful would it be than the vacuum created by the vacuum cleaners electric motor? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/2 "2006-10-25T22:16:48Z")
The “power” of a vacuum is not created by the vacuum (it’s not there, it can’t “cause” anything) but by the air in the surrounding areas where there ain’t no vacuum. As such, the “power” of any vacuum can only be evaluated in comparison with another, and all it translates to is "are there more air particles per cubic mile in System A than in System B? Or in the case of cacuum cleaner bags, square inches. I bet I could breathe in a Dyson bag (given a filter to keep me from inhaling the sofa-detritus); among other things, at any specific moment air is rushing in from the hose to replace that sucked out by the motor. You’d probably end up with a modestly better vacuum if you stuck your hand over the hose inlet, but I bet I could still get a lungful if I exerted myself. Outer space is pretty damned empty. And even there, it probably makes a difference whether you’re talking about solar-system outer space or the outer space in the interstitial areas between galactic clusters. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/3 "2006-10-25T22:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > square inches cubic inches, of course. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/4 "2006-10-25T22:27:58Z")
[In viewing Wikipedia it says-](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum) > [@](#): > > [edit] Examples > Vacuum cleaner approximately 80 kPa (600 Torr) > liquid ring vacuum pump approximately 3.2 kPa (24 Torr) > freeze drying 100 to 10 Pa (1 to 0.1 Torr) > rotary vane pump 100 Pa to 100 mPa (1 Torr to 10−3 Torr) > Incandescent light bulb 10 to 1 Pa (0.1 to 0.01 Torr) > Thermos bottle 1 to 0.1 Pa (10−2 to 10−3 Torr) > Near earth outer space approximately 100 µPa (10−6 Torr) > Cryopumped MBE chamber 100 nPa to 1 nPa (10−9 Torr to 10−11 Torr) > Pressure on the Moon approximately 1 nPa (10−11 Torr) > Interstellar space approximately 1 fPa (10−17 Torr) So the deep space vacuum level is much higher - So lets say inside your vacuum cleaner was a wormhole of sorts, a dimensional gateway to outer space. If wonder how hard the space vacuum would suck stuff into the vacuum cleaner hose? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/5 "2006-10-25T22:54:56Z")
[This article](http://www.belljar.net/basics.htm) Gives a fair bit of detail on the subject. A vacuum cleaner works best when it produces lots of airflow. Deep vacuum isn’t needed to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-vacuum-in-outer-space-compared-to-a-vacuum-cleaner-vacuum/377899/6 "2006-10-25T23:16:02Z")
And remember kids. Vacuums don’t suck. Pressure blows. The most force you could get with a magical wormhole vacuum cleaner is 1 atmosphere…the force generated by air blowing into the vacuum. I have no idea how this compares to an actually existing vacuum cleaner. But…let’s say 1 atm is 760 torr, 1 atm. And a regular vacuum cleaner produces a pressure of 600 torr, from your wikipedia cite. And a wormhole vacuum cleaner creates a pressure of \>1 torr. So a regular vacuum cleaner creates a pressure difference of about 160 torr, a wormhole vacuum cleaner creates a pressure difference of about 760 torr. So the wormhole vacuum cleaner seems about 5 times as powerful. Warning! Do not use wormhole vacuum cleaner in an enclosed area.