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Posted

say a bug, like an ant, falls 10 feet to the ground. it never seems like it gets hurt. this distance is large compared to its body size. how come they don't seem to get hurt?

Posted
say a bug, like an ant, falls 10 feet to the ground. it never seems like it gets hurt. this distance is large compared to its body size. how come they don't seem to get hurt?

 

Comparably low terminal velocity combined with a strong exoskeleton.

-Will

Posted

Stokes law. Air is viscous for a small objects of low density. That is why goose down gently floats while the same mass of lead as a solid ball falls. Take a strand of dry spaghetti. Break it. Easy! Now try to snap a 1/8" length.

 

Material strength varies as area, r^2; material weight varies as volume, r^3. Small stuff is strong vs. its weight.

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