The ant's Kinetic energy is E = ½ m v²

if the ant moves across 5½ feet (165 cm) in 30 seconds its velocity is 5.5 cm/sec

So E=½ (0.1 gm)(5.5 cm/sec)² = 1.51 ergs

convert ergs to eV by dividing by 1.602 x 10^-12

E = 0.944 x 10¹² eV or 0.944 TeV

How can you explain that it takes a multi-billion dollar complex chain of accelerators to accelerate one proton to a TeV when that's the same energy as a slow-moving ant?

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Return to "How Big is an Electron Volt?"

rev.  E.M.  August 8, 2000