Science_Laws

Science Laws Scaling laws are extremely simple observations about how physics works at different sizes. A well-known example is that a flea can jump dozens of times its height, while an elephant can't jump at all. Scaling laws tell us that this is a general rule: smaller things are less affected by gravity. This essay explains how scaling laws work, shows how to use them, and discusses the benefits of tinyness with regard to speed of operation, power density, functional density, and efficiency—four very important factors in the performance of any system. Scaling laws provide a very simple, even simplistic approach to understanding the nanoscale. Detailed engineering requires more intricate calculations. But basic scaling law calculations, used with appropriate care, can show why technology based on nanoscale devices is expected to be extremely powerful by comparison with either biology or modern engineering. Let's start with a scaling-law analysis of muscles vs. gravity in elephants and fleas. As a muscle shrinks, its strength decreases with its cross-sectional area, which is proportional to length times length. We write that in shorthand as strength ~ L2. (If you aren't comfortable with 'proportional to', just think 'equals': strength = L squared.) But the weight of the muscle is power, times, density, speed, scaling, volume, strength, million, same, nanoscale, system, parts, laws, systems, smaller, shrunk, performance, weight, wear, very, ten, proportional, important, high, friction, force, factor, engine, design, 1000, watts, scale, per, operation