How Does the Square-Cube Law Limit Animal Size?

[lnsanity]

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 ?

 

[Doc Al]

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.