2006-07-17 13:40:17 · 9 answers · asked by jason 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The average Formica japonica weighs 0.004 g, but can lift approximately 20 times it’s own weight. So we have
20 x .004 = .08 grams (the average amount an average ant can carry).
The average grizzly bear weighs 800 lbs
There are 454 grams in a pound.
Thus the average Grizzly bear weighs 800 x 454 = 363,200 grams
Using a little math 800 lbs x 454 = 363,200 grams/ .08 = 4,540,000 Approximately.
Thus: it would take 4,540,000 average ants to pick up and carry your average grizzly bear LOL 8-) Now if we could just find a way to film that, we could provide a ton of entertainment for alot of people ;-)
Jason, let us know if that helps ;-)
2006-07-17 13:53:09 · answer #1 · answered by TommyTrouble 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Right going on from previous answer we have a problem namely could 4,540,000 ants FIT under a grizzly bear in the first place?
A Grizzly bear (adult) is roughly 2.1M tall, there is a paucity of data regarding the width of Grizzly bears on the internet so we will have to have a guess at 1M average width to take into account variations across the entire body length. We'll do the calculations at 50CM and 2M as well to set some limits on this.
So our bear has a cross section of 2.1 x 1M or 2.1SqM
Fine, so how big is an ant when it is in carrying mode? 8MM? sounds about right but lets do the calculation for 5mm and 15mm.
It's pretty obvious that even at either end of the scale you can only fit about 1-4000 Ants beneath the sleeping bear.
How about lowering the weight of the bear? how about a baby bear (newborn grizzlies are about 1lb)
1 x 454=454 divide that by the agreed loadbearing (excuse the pun)capacity of a single ant. 0.08. Gives 5675 Ants.
But you can't fit 5675 ants under a baby bear (you can't even fit them under an adult).
Flatten a baby bear to unit thickness and you can do this but then the bear wouldn't be sleeping any more, it would be dead or in considerable pain. I don't advocate flattening bears.
Your problem is bear density or bearmass/bearvolume this is constant for any size of bear. Ant carrying capacity is constant in a similar fashion. The simple fact being that the ants are not strong enough to do this without a crane/helium filled baloons.
Ant engineering being what it is I doubt that we will see this particular crime happening soon.
Let sleeping bears lie.
2006-07-20 23:44:49 · answer #2 · answered by INFOPOTAMUS 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think it could be done.(they would actualy just crawl into him through every opening and kill him(suffocate him by crawling into his lungs)) but you figure that the ants could only lift from where the bear touches the ground. there would only be a small area where the ants could get under the bear. there is just no way to get enough ants under the bear to efectively lift it. however, that would be awsome to see a bear being carried away by millions of ants.
2006-07-17 16:05:36 · answer #3 · answered by cronos51101 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
42
2006-07-17 13:42:34 · answer #4 · answered by steven_j_richards2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on the size of the bear, fuzziness, and temper, of course , i'd say somewhere betweeon 6,000 and 10,000
2006-07-17 15:37:10 · answer #5 · answered by aefhskjrfhskjghskjrghw289utghwsr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably a lot more than it took to crawl into your ear and eat the better part of your brain!
2006-07-17 15:29:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just One ELEPHant
2006-07-17 22:20:24 · answer #7 · answered by Malcolm M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just two aunt Hilda and aunt Alice they two big huge women
2006-07-17 13:44:24 · answer #8 · answered by brian_the_lion2000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on how well trained they are!
There is no difinative answer. Sorry.
Sash
2006-07-17 13:46:16 · answer #9 · answered by sashtou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋