Can a vacuum pull your eye out?

Vacuums are designed to suck up dirt and debris from hard surfaces. However, it’s possible for a vacuum to pull your eye out of its socket if you put your eye too close to the nozzle. In fact, MythBusters has tested this theory multiple times and found that it is true.

Answer

Yes, the vacuum can pull your eye out.

If you put your eye up to the hose of a vacuum cleaner that’s running, you could lose it.

MythBusters experiments

MythBusters, a TV show devoted to testing the validity of myths and urban legends, tested the vacuum theory.

The MythBusters used a hard-boiled egg as their test subject. They found that when they attached it to a suction cup and put it inside a vacuum cleaner hose, the suction was strong enough to pull the egg out of its shell. The reason this happens is because of Newton’s Third Law: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” So as you suck in air as you suck out dust particles or liquid from your carpet, there will be an equal force pushing back against your face and pulling your eye out.

Adam’s Test

To test the vacuum theory, Adam used a hard-boiled egg. He put the egg in a jar and attached it to a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum pulled the egg out of its shell, which was still inside the jar.

As part of the experiment, a cow carcass was placed in a vacuum chamber. The eyeball was then pulled out from its socket and out through the back of the eye socket. Surprisingly, it was still attached to its optic nerve!

A vacuum creates a “suction cup” effect on the eye

The suction in a vacuum is created by the air inside the bag. When you open up your vacuum, there will be a lot of air trapped inside. As soon as you start sucking up dirt and debris from your floor, that trapped air rushes out at high speeds. That’s why it’s so powerful—it creates a pressure differential between inside the bag and outside of it, which sucks everything towards its center (where you are).

The effect on your eye is pretty obvious: if you were to walk up to a vacuum hose and stick your eyeball up against it, it would suck out of its socket like a grape from its skin! The same thing happens when someone sticks their finger or thumb into an open end of a straw while drinking through another end; they’ll get sucked right in if they’re not careful!

The only way around this problem is simply not sticking anything into an opening that isn’t designed for things like fingers or eyeballs (or grapes). If something gets caught in one anyway—like an eyelash or some other small object—it can usually be removed without too much trouble; just give yourself plenty of time before trying again (eyes don’t heal quickly).

A ping-pong ball experience

A ping-pong ball was sucked into the hose of an industrial vacuum cleaner and exploded. The ping-pong ball was not designed to withstand that kind of pressure and breakage occurred.

DO NOT put your eyes near a vacuum, it can pull eyeballs out!

You should also avoid sticking them into a vacuum cleaner.

Final Thought

As we’ve seen, the myth that vacuums can pull out eyeballs is true. The force of suction creates a suction cup effect on the eye, which then pulls it out. You should never put your eyes near a vacuum because it could seriously injure you!