Vacuum

space · physics · forces

Empty space exists. A vacuum is a space with little to no matter in it, like a region with almost no air or gas. The word comes from Latin and literally means empty or void.

Humans create vacuums. Engineers use special machines to pump air out of sealed containers and create what's called a partial vacuum. This process is called evacuation, and the suction force it creates is just the atmosphere pushing on the opening.

Perfect vacuums are rare. Scientists imagine perfect vacuums with absolutely nothing in them to test their ideas, but in real life, even the best vacuums still have a tiny bit of stuff floating around in them.

Vacuum is all around us. Space itself is mostly a vacuum with barely any matter, which is why astronauts need special suits and spacecraft to survive there.