If a person jumps from the roof of a high-rise building, they are likely to sustain serious injuries. An insect, however, will remain unharmed. What is the reason for such a difference?
Insects are capable of falling from impressive heights and not dying from the impact. While humans or even smaller animals, such as dogs and rodents, can sustain injuries that are incompatible with life. What is the secret to their survival?
The secret lies in two main factors — the body shape of insects and air resistance. The first factor refers to the surface area of their bodies. It is known that as this area increases, so does the drag force experienced by the body when falling through the air. The falling body is acted upon by the force of gravity, which depends on its mass and the acceleration due to gravity. At the same time, the drag force, which depends on air density, falling speed, body area, and aerodynamic characteristics, opposes it.
The mass of insects usually amounts to only a few dozen grams, so the force of gravity acting on them is relatively small. At the same time, the drag force becomes significant, leading to the resultant force that determines their falling acceleration remaining relatively low. Thus, insects land on the ground at a lower speed than humans, allowing them to survive.
Humans, on the other hand, have too small a surface area compared to their mass, so the drag force is unable to reduce the falling speed to a safe level. However, this can be mitigated with the help of special devices such as paragliders or parachutes.
