Post created by: Amanda
In our physics’ lectures we learned about pressure and how it equals the force of an object divided by its area, as shown in the equation P=F/A. We then went on to use this relationship to solve many different types of problems. One problem explained the different pressures created on the heels of two different types of shoes: heels or sneakers. We discovered that the weight (or force) of the person wearing the shoes doesn’t change, but only the area of the heel of the shoe that the weight of the person is pushing down on. If the area was large, such as the case with the sneaker, then the pressure generated will be relatively small. But if the area were to be very small, like the heels, then the same force divided by the small area will create a large pressure.
Now, how does this apply to the movie Ant Man? Well, if you’ve watched the movie they explain this pretty well, but essentially the same thing that was going on in our shoe example happens with the Ant Man as he shrinks. When he is his regular human size, any of his movements - such as fighting someone - will feel to his victims like an average human fighting. But when he shrinks to the size of an ant, his overall area drastically decreases also. And, since the force of his punches stay the same, when it’s divided by the much smaller area the pressure generated is vastly larger than that of an average human’s. As a result, Ant Man is capable of dealing deathly blows and causing serious damage due to his dramatic decrease in size and maintenance of a large force.
To better understand, we’ll look at the numbers behind this principle. A human punch has an average force of 1445.67 N (The Physics of Punching Someone in the Face), and the average pressure is 499,869.5 Pa (Punching in a Street Fight). Based off of these measurements, we can manipulate the equation P=F/A to solve for area, or A=F/P, and get the average area involved in the punch to be 0.0029 m^2. Now, to find how much Ant Man’s pressure per punch increases when he shrinks, we simply find his new area. Since a human is roughly 558.667 times larger than an ant (How Big is an Ant Compared to a Human?), when Ant Man shrinks to an ant’s size, his area is roughly 5.191 x 10^-5 m^2. Since his force stays the same, his new pressure generated by this much smaller area will be about 27,849,547.3 Pa, which is almost 56 times larger than when he was human sized.
Adams , C. (2010, July 23). The Physics of Punching Someone in the Face. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/straight-dope/article/13039270/straight-dope-the-physics-of- punching-someone-in-the-face
King, R. (2016, November 15). Punching in a Street Fight. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://kpcombat.ca/punching-in-a-street-fight
How big is an ant compared to a human? (2006, September 26). Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.answers.com/Q/How_big_is_an_ant_compared_to_a_human
This does not look right. If Ant Man's size is decreased by a factor of ~560, one must note that the area of his hand must decrease by a factor of ~560² (since both dimensions of the part of the hand involved in the punch shrink). Hence the area decreases by a factor of ~3.1 x 10⁵. If the force remains the same, the pressure must increase by the very same incredible amount. This makes the pressure comparable to that exerted by a bullet on the human body.