A:

The force of gravity on an ant is really tiny. If there were no air, an ant (and everything else) would accelerate at 9.81 meters per second per second. The resistive force due to air drag increases with the speed and opposes the motion. Eventually, an object goes fast enough so the drag force is equal and opposite to the gravitational force, and the object no longer accelerates. We say it has reached "terminal velocity".The terminal velocity for an ant in air is quite small -- no more than two meters per second, I guess (having dropped a number of ants from about a meter myself). Ants are also amazingly durable -- they have very hard exoskeletons. I think the ant will have no trouble surviving that fall!Some ants even have wings and can fly!Tom

(published on 10/22/2007)