How many Gs can an ant withstand? - (Apr/04/2006 )

How many Gs can an ant withstand?

Note to moderators: please don't lock this topic, it is a serious question, I want to know. It's not the same as the other one.

to understand g-force check out this site: http://www.cavalrypilot.com/fm1-301/ch4.htm

Dragon flies routinely pull G forces that only astronauts can imagine, and can accelerate faster than a jet on after-burners.

For beetles, apparently some can stand 5730 'gs (6000rpm) for 2 minutes.
http://www.cs.usask.ca/undergrads/yyj066/hopeSci.html


"A famous entomologist said "Most people outgrow the habit of pulling the wings off flies. Those that do do not either come to a bad end or become entomologists" Even adult entomologists sometimes subject arthropods to trials by ordeal. Believe me, cockroaches, ants, and flies can survive a shockingly long time in the microwave. All three, by the way, can survive very high g-forces. In one lab that my wife worked in they had g-force contests using a centrifuge. The ticks always won. But don't worry- these are three-dimensional creatures. Just because a cockroach or ant survives a two-minute exposure does not mean that such an exposure would not sanitize a surface."
http://www.hbd.org/hbd/archive/1722.html

interesting things about ants:
ants can carry 10-20 times their body weight. they work in team to move extremely heavy things.
Ant brains are the largest amongst insects. mushroom shaped brain appendages have function similar to the gray matter of human brains.
It has been estimated that an ant's brain may have the same processing power as a machintosh II computer.

The studies on insects and centrifugal forces were done back in the 1960s, and 70s. I don't have access to those papers, but it seems they could stand quite a lot.
Now, peole refer to other papers, and don't tend to go more than 6000 rpm.

Vetticus

Them ants are sure resiliant!