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Small insects like ants have a very low [[terminal velocity]] on Earth, when compared to animals with higher mass. This low terminal velocity is attributed to the [[mass]] of the object that falls. As the tiny mass (ant) falls from a cliff or a very high structure, [[gravity]] accelerates it downwards. But at the same moment, the atmosphere will provide an upward [[drag]] due to air resistance and soon would balance the weight of the ant. When the acceleration stops, the ant would have reached its terminal velocity. So the ant hits the ground at a very low terminal velocity, which doesn't hurt it.
 
Small insects like ants have a very low [[terminal velocity]] on Earth, when compared to animals with higher mass. This low terminal velocity is attributed to the [[mass]] of the object that falls. As the tiny mass (ant) falls from a cliff or a very high structure, [[gravity]] accelerates it downwards. But at the same moment, the atmosphere will provide an upward [[drag]] due to air resistance and soon would balance the weight of the ant. When the acceleration stops, the ant would have reached its terminal velocity. So the ant hits the ground at a very low terminal velocity, which doesn't hurt it.
  
This could also be analysed from the point of [[square-cube law]]. According to the law of nature, when a body grows, the [[volume]] triples in size when compared to the area, which only doubles. As gravitational force scales as the mass increases, if the ant were replaced with an [[elephant]], the increased volume would increase its mass and therefore the gravitational attraction downwards. The drag, however, scales only with the surface area. Therefore, the elephant would accelerate for long due to its weight and would attain a high terminal velocity, which on impact would severely hurt the elephant (and perhaps the ground). In the case of the ant, both the volume and surface area are tiny and hence the terminal velocity would only be about a metre per second.
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This could also be analysed from the point of [[square-cube law]]. According to the law of nature, when a body grows, the [[volume]] triples in size when compared to the area, which only doubles. As gravitational force scales as the mass increases, if the ant were replaced with an [[elephant]], the increased volume would increase its mass and therefore the gravitational attraction downwards. The drag, however, scales only with the surface area. Therefore, the elephant would accelerate for long due to its weight and would attain a high terminal velocity, which on impact would severely hurt the elephant (and perhaps the ground). In the case of the ant, both the volume and surface area is tiny and hence the terminal velocity would only be about a metre per second.
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