If we scaled up a grasshopper by 50 times in all dimensions, which of the following would be true of this giant grasshopper?
A) it could leap the length of a football field in one jump
B) it could fly up more than 100 miles into the atmosphere
C) it could fly faster than any other organism
D) it could not stand up

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Scaling up a grasshopper by 50 times in all dimensions would greatly increase its mass by a factor of $50^3$ (since mass is a function of volume, and volume scales with the cube of linear dimensions), but the strength of its legs, which is related to the cross-sectional area, would only increase by a factor of $50^2$. This discrepancy means that the grasshopper's legs would not be strong enough to support its vastly increased weight, making it impossible for the giant grasshopper to stand up.

If We Scaled Up a Grasshopper by 50 Times in All