| MadSci Network: Other |
Dear ME,
I hope you have not been torturing the ants in your neighborhood by dropping them!
However, my guess is that you have, and fortunately, they seem to be surviving..
The first reason is a matter of physics. The force with which an object hits the ground can be calculated with the following equation:
F = ma, or Force = mass X acceleration
Acceleration comes from the earth's gravitational field. At the surface
of the earth, this acceleration is approximately 9.8 meters/second^2, or
32 feet/second^2.
Ants have very little mass, and so will hit the ground with far less force than what you or I might generate in falling the same distance (OW!). Secondly, their small size and mass makes them more susceptible to air currents and wind. A kind gust of wind could potentially blanket their fall.
Biologically, ants have a tough exoskeleton made of chitin. You can think of it as a biological suit of armor. This exoskeleton behaves much like our own internal skeletons: it serves to protect the innards of the ant, while providing structure and support so it can move about (and try to avoid curious humans...). The main difference is the ant wears its skeleton on the outside, while we keep ours tucked away beneath layers of skin and muscle. Presumably, the height at which you're dropping the unfortunate ant is not sufficient to break it's skeleton. (I'll ask that you refrain from finding a height at which it does break it!) However, the fall may well damage the insides of the ant as things slosh from side to side after the impact. Ants are tough little critters, and I'm not surprised that they have survived the fall.
Be nice to ants. You can learn more at the Myrmecology web site (the study of ants..).
-N.B.
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