3. If you launch something into space will it go forever, or is there a point at wh...

If you launch something into space will it go forever, or is there a point at which it would come to a halt due to the few molecules floating around out there?

Didn't have anything better to do on a Friday night, figured I'd take a crack at this.

Assumptions:
* Nothing else exists beside the object and the interstellar gas
* Object is 1 meter cubed solid steel with density of 8,050 kg/m3
* Interstellar gas has a density of 1 atom of 4He. (mass 4.66E-33kg)
* Solar escape velocity is 525000 m/s
* Interstellar gas is stationary with velocity of 0

v1=525000 m/s; v2 = 0 m/s; m1=8050 kg; m2 = 4.66E-33 kg; v1'=velocity after impact

v1' = (v1-v2)(m1-m2) / ((m1-(-1)*m2)-(-1)*v2)
(derived from Elastic Collision equations, referenced Source)

Since v2=0:
v1'=(v1*(m1-m2)/(m1-(-1)*m2)

Find slope(velocity decrease is constant, so linear equation time):
m=(v2-v1)/(x2-x1)
Where x is the # of the atom, which is equivalent to how many meters it has been.

Solve for x1 when v1=0
v1=mx1+525000

The object will stop on its own in 8.64 E32 km = 5.36 E32 miles = 9.13 E19 light years. For perspective the farthest galaxy we've observed is 13.3 E9 light years away.

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