How Do Ants Lift Heavy Stuff?
WouterAmong the many mysteries of nature, how do ants lift heavy stuff? The answer is a combination of physics, biology, and mathematics. These animals are tiny, but have some big muscles. The ability to carry heavy loads requires brawn, brains, and a little help from other ants.
An ant can lift about ten to fifty times its own weight. That’s quite a feat considering it weighs less than two milligrams. In comparison, a 220 pound man can lift 4,400 pounds over his head.
There are two main reasons why ants can lift heavy stuff. The first is that they have strong necks. The neck’s microstructure of bumps helps ants shoulder big loads. The second is that their muscles have greater cross sectional area. This allows them to produce more force per pound.
They also have a good grip on the best way to lift a heavy object. This is a key benefit of their low body mass and skinny legs. A typical car weighs about 1,500kg. An ant’s tiny body can hold about 8 centimeters of stuff.
The other cool thing about ants is that they can lift more than they weigh. Using the complex math of their anatomy, ants can lift a load ten to fifty times their own weight.
The biggest challenge in lifting a big object is balancing the load. This is especially important when the object is moving. Using their tiny legs, ants can run eight hundred times their body length in a minute.
