[Loser]

Originally posted by TerranC:
Then another question for you atmosphere experts: What would happen to an Oxygen breather in a Hydrogen-Atmosphere or a Methane-Atmosphere planet that has the same gravity as earth and atmosphere pressure as earth?

Methane will basically just displace the oxygen and the oxy-breather will suffocate. Dumb kids out in the country will sometimes bottle certain methane-producing substances (messy) and inhale the gases sealed in the container to get high. This is an oxy-dep high and is more easily reproduced by breathing into and form a balloon, but I guess the kids don't know that.

(Note: neither nitrous nor paint fumes are simply an oxy-dep high. These experiences are doing more than just depriving you of oxygen.)

Hydrogen, on the other hand hurts! (Personal experience.) Do not try to breathe this stuff, it is bad for you and any other oxygen breather.

Basically O2 and H2 are very reactive, while CO2 and CH4 are not so reactive. CH4 and H2 environmental suits have the additional issue that, while in an O2 environment, leaks are mixing highly combustible gases. Neither H2 nor CH4 will burn quite so hot (single bond breakages) and large masses (dome breakages) will burn relatively slowly (the Hindenburg burned so fast because of the chemicals with which the skin of the dirigible was treated), but there is great destructive potential here. Basically because the two gases are on either side of the combustive process you would see burning, but not so many outright explosions.

[ July 15, 2003, 14:59: Message edited by: Loser ]