Eli5 how can insects survive a slap from humans, a creature that’s gigantic compared to them
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Force (f) = Mass (m) times Acceleration (a).
So the force something feels on impact is a product of how heavy it is and how fast it’s going when it hits.
Let’s pretend, just because it’s easier, that your hand is a stationary wall that the fly is flying into at the same speed as your previously swinging hand. So you take the speed of the object, and multiply it by its mass, which as I’m sure you’ve guessed is not a lot because it’s a fly. Since the fly’s mass is so teensy, it would take a *lot* more speed for it to feel much force at all from being swatted as you describe, because your hand doesn’t travel fast enough for that f=ma equation from earlier to yield a big enough number to do anything, but something like a car at highway speeds will.
Force (f) = Mass (m) times Acceleration (a).
So the force something feels on impact is a product of how heavy it is and how fast it’s going when it hits.
Let’s pretend, just because it’s easier, that your hand is a stationary wall that the fly is flying into at the same speed as your previously swinging hand. So you take the speed of the object, and multiply it by its mass, which as I’m sure you’ve guessed is not a lot because it’s a fly. Since the fly’s mass is so teensy, it would take a *lot* more speed for it to feel much force at all from being swatted as you describe, because your hand doesn’t travel fast enough for that f=ma equation from earlier to yield a big enough number to do anything, but something like a car at highway speeds will.
One way to think of it is, people can get hit by waves on the beach. I’ve played a “game” in Hawaii where I’d let myself get by a wave, some were even taller than me. The water definitely weighed a lot more than me. But the effect was it would start pushing me up the beach.
It might seem a little weird to think of it this way, but humans are mostly made of water.
One way to think of it is, people can get hit by waves on the beach. I’ve played a “game” in Hawaii where I’d let myself get by a wave, some were even taller than me. The water definitely weighed a lot more than me. But the effect was it would start pushing me up the beach.
It might seem a little weird to think of it this way, but humans are mostly made of water.
Can it get a concussion?
Can it get a concussion?
Can it get a concussion?
Depends on what kind of “slap” we are talking about.
Insect is sitting on a wall and you slap it: insect goes “splat”, because you are smashing it against the wall. Your slap strength is much larger than what the insect can withstand.
Insect is in the air or on the ground and you just slap it away: The insect is so light that the air you displace slapping it will move it away. Compare slapping a balloon stuck against the wall to slapping a balloon in the air.
Depends on what kind of “slap” we are talking about.
Insect is sitting on a wall and you slap it: insect goes “splat”, because you are smashing it against the wall. Your slap strength is much larger than what the insect can withstand.
Insect is in the air or on the ground and you just slap it away: The insect is so light that the air you displace slapping it will move it away. Compare slapping a balloon stuck against the wall to slapping a balloon in the air.
Depends on what kind of “slap” we are talking about.
Insect is sitting on a wall and you slap it: insect goes “splat”, because you are smashing it against the wall. Your slap strength is much larger than what the insect can withstand.
Insect is in the air or on the ground and you just slap it away: The insect is so light that the air you displace slapping it will move it away. Compare slapping a balloon stuck against the wall to slapping a balloon in the air.
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