If something were more dense would it be more durable?

Question

Fictionally speaking, if our bones, skin, organs, and tissue were more dense would we weigh more? Would we be more durable to damage? What about like a super duper dense metal. Would that be super duper durable?

Answer 1

Non-fictionally speaking, density has nothing to do with durability.



-- If an egg and a piece of paper were dropped in a vacuum, the paper,

which would be the less-dense of the two, would fare much, much better

than the egg.

And, if an egg 'shell' (rather than an entire egg) was used in the same experiment,

the end result would not differ.



-- A 6" ball of solid glass, having the far greater density, would not survive a like and

equal fall as a 6" ball of crumbled aluminum foil.



Density does not = Durability.

Answer 2

1... to answer your first question it is demonstrably not true that denser materials are more durable. Gold for example is a very dense metal yet it is soft andf easily subject to wear and tear if carried as coins for example in then pocket.

2... If you skin and bones etc were of the same size and volume while being more dense then logic dictates that they would be heavier.

3... If a living organ is denser than another counterpart it does not necessarily mean that it is tougher and more durable, and in fact since such examples have never been found, it is impossible to say with certainty.

4... Well we can compare the density of gold with that of iron, for example. It is patently obvious that iron is more durable than gold in most applications, even though it is less dense than the gold. Hence it would not necessarily follow that a super-duper dense metal is more durable.

However in the case of gold, it does not easily react with other chemicals and hence does not therefore acquire a coating of oxide, etc.. whil;e iron on the other hand does have a tendency to rust (oxidise) in the presence of air with moisture.

Another dense but soft metal is lead and lead will oxidise and will also form a coating with sulfur in the atmosphere. So when discussing "durability" it is necessary to state the parameters of the conditions and environment.

Answer 3

strictly in terms of the MATERIALS and their composition, yes. How they combine and interact? no, not necessarily.



Also, at a certain point, brittleness becomes a factor. The densest form of most solid materials is a crystalline lattice... these can be "brittle".... carbon for example... its densest form is also the STRONGEST natural substance on earth, the diamond.... but it will shatter like glass if you tap it with a hammer..... when "dense" becomes "brittle" you lose "tensile" strength... a little flexibility requires a little less density.



bones, for example, achieve strength by being partially empty space, a lattice of support structures... and they are hollow. If bones were denser, they would break under their own weight. Most materials benefit from the reduced density if a support structure is involved... think of cardboard.... mostly empty air.



there are a LOT of trade offs available when you talk in terms of density, durability and damage.

Answer 4

not in all cases because of you fall from the same height say 10m you will hurt yourself more if you were more dense because we weight more then if you were not