Why do we say that spiderwebs are “stronger than steel”?
because strength is measured proportionally to the size of the object in question. In this case, the strength being measured is tensile strength (or how strong it is while being pulled, think of trying to measure how much weight you could hang on one strand of silk before it snapped) We don't thi…
The Short Answer
because strength is measured proportionally to the size of the object in question. In this case, the strength being measured is tensile strength (or how strong it is while being pulled, think of trying to measure how much weight you could hang on one strand of silk before it snapped) We don't think of spider webs as strong because they are so small in scale. (a spider's silk is significantly thinner than a human hair) However, if we produced a piece of steel as thin as the silk, it would take less force to snap it than the spider's silk. In theory, if we could harvest enough spider's silk you could create a large rope of it that would be stronger than an equivalently sized steel cable. (As you can guess this presents a whole other set of challenges that are the reason we don't have spider silk supported structures)
Analysis
Key Concepts: Silk, strength, spider's
This explanation focuses on silk, strength, spider's and spans 150 words across 5 sentences. At 121% above the average Animals explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “because strength is measured proportionally to the size of the object in question.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 5 connected points.
How This Compares in Animals
Ranked #24 of 500 Animals questions by answer depth (top 6%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why we say that spiderwebs are "stronger than steel"?
because strength is measured proportionally to the size of the object in question. In this case, the strength being measured is tensile strength (or how strong it is while being pulled, think of trying to measure how much weight you could hang on…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Animals questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 150 words, ranked #24 of 500 Animals questions by depth. The key concepts covered are silk, strength, spider's.
What approach does this answer take to explain we say that spiderwebs are "stronger than steel"?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 150 words. It is categorized under Animals and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.