How Does the Square-Cube Law Limit Animal Size?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the square-cube law, which explains the limitations on animal size due to the relationship between height, strength, and mass. As an animal increases in height by a factor of ten, its strength increases by a factor of 100, while its mass increases by a factor of 1000. This discrepancy arises because strength is proportional to the cross-sectional area of muscles, not their total volume. The professor highlights that bones would struggle to support excessively large animals due to these physical constraints. Ultimately, this law illustrates why there are limits to how large animals can grow.
lnsanity
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I saw a MIT course on YouTube where the well know professor say that if I augment the height per 10 the strength augment by 100 (square) but the mass by 1000 (cube) so an animal would be 10 time relatively weaker if 10 time taller so he explain there is a limit to animal size because of this. He also said that the bone would not be able to support an animal too big.

My question is why the animal is only 100 time stronger not 1000 time ? since is muscular mass is 1000x ?
 
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lnsanity said:
My question is why the animal is only 100 time stronger not 1000 time ? since is muscular mass is 1000x ?
The strength would be (roughly) proportional to the cross-section of the muscles, not their total volume.

This principle is sometimes called the square-cube law.
 
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