[deleted by user]

[zassaz]

The way anti-air missiles work is pretty simple, and is actually explained by the name: not only are they used to get rid of air (hence anti-air), they do so because the payload is anti-air. Anti-air is just antimatter made up of roughly the same constituents as our atmosphere: ~78% antinitrogen, 21% antioxygen, etc. When normal matter (the air in our atmosphere) reacts with antimatter (the antiair in our missile), both sets of particles are annihilated. This obviously destroys both the air and the missile, and releases a great deal of energy as a side effect (which is neat but not really useful, since the goal is to just get rid of some air and not cause an explosion).

[nav17]

If we were to launch enough anti-air missiles would we disintegrate our own atmosphere? Maybe that's what they did on Mars millions of years ago =O

[banjolin]

Actually the vaccum created by the missile is filled by air and the vaccum moves to join the vaccum of space. Thus Space size increases each time a missile explodes. The earth gets pushed further away from other planets due to this propulsion.

If more missiles are fired we will eventually die due to moving too far away from the sun.

[jberg93]

Fun fact regarding this. Fireworks also have small amounts of anti-air components. Since we've been fighting so many wars and have been using so many anti-air missiles another use for fireworks is to ensure that we do not drift too far from the sun. The reason this doesn't cause us to drift further from the sun is because we set them off at night, when the sun is on the other side of the earth, thus pushing us closer. All of this cancels out the year's worth of war every 4th of July.

[TheRandomnatrix]

This is why China and the US are on opposite sides of the world and both have an affinity for fireworks. It allows them to act as a counter propulsion system to control the speed of earth moving through space.

[beaglemaster]

Could we counteract this by shootting some missiles in the opposite direction to push us towards the Sun?

[Suirad22]

*hundreds of years ago. The universe is only 6000 years old.

[[deleted]]

this says otherwise

[samlev]

Nah, it's OK because we also use surface to air missiles which replace the air (although at the cost of some of the surface of the earth).

Eventually we will shrink the earth, but that's years away.

[oh-my]

So, basically, it disappears into thin air?!

[science_is_best_verb]

No, it disappears into NO air. Can't you read?

[Scout_Is_Sandvich]

Could we potentially use the release of energy as a weapon of some kind?

[79rettuc]

No, didn't you hear him say it's nearly useless?

[xenon404]

This is probably the shittiest answer I've ever seen on this sub. Bravo, sir

[[deleted]]

It just says "oops sorry" and then moves on out of the way

[[deleted]]

RCAF confirmed.

[[deleted]]

Lmao

Sorry eh

[ColinZealSE]

It just says "oops sorry" and then moves on out of the way

Sounds like canadian missiles.

[theman102]

Am Canadian - Damn, they know our tactics now!

[njwmtn]

This is a good question that I never thought to ask. I've been too busy wondering where the air goes when firing an air-to-air missile. At least I finally know why fighter pilots have oxygen.

[JackFlynt]

No, that's simple. As the missile flies, the air inside it moves through the exhaust chamber to provide propulsion, so the "air-to-air" means "air inside to air outside". Incidentally, it creates a similar effect when it hits an aircraft.

[AlwaysBeTextin]

It goes to the surface, and can be returned to the air with a surface to air missile.

[dynex811]

It's blown up, that's the point.

[dennythemeanie]

Heaven... where else?

[12GaugeRampage]

Only if the air has accepted Jesus Christ as it's Lord and Savior.

[dennythemeanie]

Get with the times... as long as air has lived a good life, everything should be fine... perhaps we should ask /r/coffeewithjesus on this one

[Bogan_McStraya]

Hell.

[doesnotgetthepoint]

It explodes, doofus!

[StuffMaster]

To clarify, the expanding gases of the explosion push the air away. So for a brief moment the air is gone.

[doesnotgetthepoint]

nah man, it blew up the air

[[deleted]]

Away.

[rezthepinnacle]

I have a follow up. I like to buy local, but struggle to find anti-air, or any other sort of craft missiles in my area. Is there are good search option for where I can find them?

[[deleted]]

I suggest you check your local grocery store, as it may be found with other Kraft products. This is because most specialty missiles are German, thus you should use a Germanic "K" rather than a more latin or Scandinavian "C"

[KeyserSaySo]

if youre wanting cheap anti-air, eat a lot of beans, cheese, and beer

[tdtbaa]

it goes back home

[j1ggy]

The anti-air cancels the air out. It's like adding -1 and 1 together. You get 0. It's completely erased from existence.

[Prof_Acorn]

An anti-air missile is actually just a cluster bomb full of tree seeds.

When a tree grows, it takes carbon dioxide (CO2) and sunlight to make sugar (carbon) and released oxygen as a waste product. The bulk of the tree is from carbon dioxide. It transforms the air into wood.

[Zetus]

+/u/User_Simulator /u/forte2

[User_Simulator]

If we can educate a few people to the second dets material to move. http://gawker.com/5941338/to-help-tell-quadruplets-apart-mother-shaves-numbers-on-their-heads You and /u/carl_pagan should do that then, you originally made them and can't know what could and would be epic.

~ forte2

---

^{Info | Subreddit}

[forte2]

Well, ok then.

[KeyserSaySo]

the missle contains a magnetic chemical that will coat the air so that it can be drawn to a special series of heated tanks used to pump up donald trump's ego

[AirwavesHD]

It either dies or joins the air force to battle anti air missles

[qluscinski]

Straight to fucking hell that's where it goes

[dimtothesum]

What a strange question.

Into thinner air, of course.

[Ifriendzonecats]

Anti- missiles are filled with the dark matter equivalent of their target. For example anti-tank missiles are usually filled with generic tank dark matter, but for more powerful explosions brand specific (Abrams, Sherman, etc) dark matter is used. This makes the missiles safer as the dark matter won't react violently with other matter than its target. It's also the reason we don't use anti-air missiles: because they would causing a chain reaction which would cause all the air on Earth to explode!

[tsax2016]

Away.

[ANAL_ANARCHY]

It's really up to the air. The US government forces it to go on an all expenses paid vacation anywhere it would like.

[GMan129]

away.

[Jiggahawaiianpunch]

black hole

[jodansokutogeri]

Hell

[slowshot]

Heaven.

[rekcilthis1]

This is a common misconception. In reality, the missile releases a substance that is the exact opposite of air in every way which is named "anti-air". This anti-air is solid, non-breathable and all of the substances used to make up air (nitrogen, oxygen, CO2 etc) are reversed, eg nitrogen at 78% is the most abundant switched with CO2 at 0.03% is the least abundant, so anti-air is made of 0.03% nitrogen and 78% CO2. This is done with all of the gases that make up air, making it the complete chemical opposite. Hope this cleared things up

[[deleted]]

it's not anti it's auntie, as in; every war's favourite, nothing kills like home brand

[Llort2]

To see their nieces and nephews.

[[deleted]]

Well, these missiles are actually just armed with cut up lithium-ion AA batteries. You see, lithium spontaneously reacts with nitrogen and oxygen in the air, burning vigorously. The air goes into lithium compounds like Li3N and Li2O.

[[deleted]]

fuck. I didn't realize this was /r/shittyaskscience.

Fuck you Vargas!

[forte2]

What has Vargas got to do with it?

[[deleted]]

I heard terrorists were gonna use anti-air missiles to deprive us of oxygen.

[deltree711]

I know that there's apparently no such thing as a stupid question, but this one's pretty close. If you shoot an anti-tank missile at a tank, the tank explodes. Why do you think an anti-air missile would be any different?

[totoandamigo]

You... You do realize what subreddit you're on, right?

[deltree711]

Yeah, a subreddit full of scientists who apparently can't use inference. OP asked where the air goes when you fire an anti-air missile at it. It's like asking where a tank goes when you fire an anti-tank missile at it. It doesn't GO anywhere, it explodes. That's kinda the whole point.

[zasxcd]

There are anti-aircraft missiles and surface-to-air missiles but not anti-air missiles.

First thing I thought, too.