Physics principles and animal locomotion

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    Animal Physics
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the application of physics principles to animal locomotion, with a focus on specific examples such as millipede leg movements and snake movement. Participants explore various physical concepts like wave patterns and the conservation of momentum in relation to how animals move.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks to illustrate physics principles through examples of animal locomotion, such as millipede movements representing longitudinal waves and snake movements representing transverse waves.
  • Another participant discusses the conservation of momentum in relation to insect locomotion, suggesting that the middle pair of legs creates subsurface vortices to propel the insect forward.
  • A participant mentions the involvement of aeronautics in bird movement, implying a complex relationship between physics and animal locomotion.
  • There is a mention of the Fourier transform of snake movement being composed of sine functions, reinforcing the idea of transverse waves.
  • A later reply questions whether the focus is on the actual involvement of physics principles in locomotion or merely on the visual similarity of controlled movements to physical processes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the relationship between physics principles and animal locomotion, with no clear consensus on whether the principles are fundamentally involved or simply analogous.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the physical processes involved in locomotion remain unaddressed, and the discussion does not resolve the complexity of the relationships between physics and animal movement.

Who May Find This Useful

Students and researchers interested in the intersection of physics and biology, particularly in the study of locomotion and movement dynamics in animals.

Elil
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Physics principles and animal locomotion

I am a physics final 4th year student ,
My final year project is to Illustrate the Physics principles using animal locomotion(, behavior).
E.g. :-Millipede leg movements - Longitude waves
Video Illustration

Snake movement - transverse wave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02hP37WX-GY"

Doppler effect- Insect movement on water surface(wave fronts)

I am searching more relationship as in the examples mentioned above.
Anybody interested and have more ideas pleases reply me.
And I will be grateful to you if you reply with the links to other material which will strength this project.

Thanking you.

Regards Elil.
 
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According to the principle of conservation of momentum, to acquire a body a forward momentum should push back the material on which it is moving.
The key is in the middle pair of legs of insects that creates subsurface vortices shape U, a few millimeters below the surface. Using the median of the total of three pairs of legs as a paddle, "rowing", forcing water behind those legs to push them forward. Although the rowing motion creates tiny waves, they do not play an important role in transferring momentum, which is necessary.
 
There's a fair bit of aeronautics involved with birds...
 
The Fourier transform of snake movement makes up of sine functions, (transverse wave as you mentioned).
 
Elil said:
My final year project is to Illustrate the Physics principles using animal locomotion(, behavior).
E.g. :-Millipede leg movements - Longitude waves
Video Illustration

Snake movement - transverse wave
Video Illustration
If I understand you correctly, you don't really care whether the physics principle is actually involved in the locomotion process. You just look for controlled movements will look similar to physical processes. Is that correct?
 

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