eli5: How are squirrels able to survive a fall at terminal velocity?
In: 6
Terminal velocity is decided by two things. The weight of something, and the surface it can expose to the wind. The higher the weight, the less wind will be able to offer resistance to it. The higher surface, the more wind will offer resistance.
Small critter gain speed slower because they’re much lighter. Fur and fluff also help increase the surface. With all those variables, things can find their terminal velocity. Different things have different terminal velocity. Animals and creatures that can spread their limbs to increase surface can thus reduce terminal velocity.
Finally, what decide whether we survive or not a fall? Simply put, when you hit the ground, all that movement energy you have turns against you. All that energy that cannot push you toward the ground instead hit you and can hurt you. Either by breaking limbs or rupturing organs. And those are necessary for our lives. The amount of energy you carry depends… On your weight (again). And that energy can be dispersed depending on how much surface hits the ground (again).
So why do squirrel survive terminal velocity? They are too light and have too much surface to go fast while falling. And when they hit the ground, their low weight, high surface and low speed mean that the shock does not produce enough force to cause lethal damages.
eli5: How are squirrels able to survive a fall at terminal velocity?
In: 6
Terminal velocity is decided by two things. The weight of something, and the surface it can expose to the wind. The higher the weight, the less wind will be able to offer resistance to it. The higher surface, the more wind will offer resistance.
Small critter gain speed slower because they’re much lighter. Fur and fluff also help increase the surface. With all those variables, things can find their terminal velocity. Different things have different terminal velocity. Animals and creatures that can spread their limbs to increase surface can thus reduce terminal velocity.
Finally, what decide whether we survive or not a fall? Simply put, when you hit the ground, all that movement energy you have turns against you. All that energy that cannot push you toward the ground instead hit you and can hurt you. Either by breaking limbs or rupturing organs. And those are necessary for our lives. The amount of energy you carry depends… On your weight (again). And that energy can be dispersed depending on how much surface hits the ground (again).
So why do squirrel survive terminal velocity? They are too light and have too much surface to go fast while falling. And when they hit the ground, their low weight, high surface and low speed mean that the shock does not produce enough force to cause lethal damages.
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