Ask Science
Ask a science question, get a science answer.
Community Rules
Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.
Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.
Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.
Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.
Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.
Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.
Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.
Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.
Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.
Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.
Rule 7: Report violations.
Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.
Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.
Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.
Rule 9: Source required for answers.
Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.
By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.
We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.
view the rest of the comments
Maybe a better way to approach this is to ask why you think a fast moving object hitting your eye wouldn't damage it? Why does that seem unlikely to you?
I guess I just don't get how in a BB gun backfiring (if that is what it is passing thru the hammer and everything and connect with said eye) How come you never hear about a dear rifle or something similar doing that? Now I am not a gun person and don't try to be. Just always wondered what the science is behind it. Is it a chemical reaction that takes places that makes the BB or bullet fly backward if so then how can something so small pass thru metal and injure the shooter. To me it would be like driving at 50 and slamming it into reverse without slowing down. How does Inertia play in here where something that goes forward deliberately sends it flying straight backwards? Does the BB flip around mid shot or something? If so how does that happen?? Prolly a better way to explain it but best I can kind of come up with.
Now the question makes more sense. Two ways - accidentally looking into the barrel and it going off, like during reloading. Or the most likely, ricocheting off a surface and flying back toward you (which is what happened in the movie, broke his glasses. Good lesson on protective eyewear, something that I think is worn in gun shooting ranges for that reason).
When I got my BB gun AGES ago, the first thing my dad did was teach to pick good targets that won't do that, that will absorb the velocity, and even made a cardboard box with newspaper inside to put a target on (bonus, most BBs didn't leave the box and I could recover them).
Yes, gun ranges typically enforce safety wear for eyes and ears at a minimum, on top of the 4 universal rules of use:
Treat all guns as if they are always loaded (meaning a round of chambered in the barrel, don't some is empty because you to the magazine out).
Never let the muzzle (exit) point at anything that you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have made the decision to shoot (this is the most commonly abused or misunderstood why, you don't want to accidentally pull the trigger and shoot something you don't want to. People think they're being careful until they're not. Boom)
Be sure of your target and what is behind it. (This is also important, because in a home defense or self defense scenario, we always talk about what if your round were up pass through the bad guy and hit a good guy? Or worse, a kid! This leads to using/carrying the appropriate type of ammunition to mitigate that)
Sorry for the misunderstanding but it's hard to put all that into a sentence and a half. And most people see the title don't read the body. Leave a snarky comment and move along.