Skip to main content

The physics of human sperm vs. the physics of the sperm whale

4,371,515 Views

2,469 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Traveling is extremely arduous for microscopic sperm -- think of a human trying to swim in a pool made of...other humans. We can compare the journey of a sperm to that of a sperm whale by calculating the Reynolds number, a prediction of how fluid will behave, often fluctuating due to size of the swimmer. Aatish Bhatia explores the great (albeit tiny) sperm’s journey.

Which of the following changes has the largest effect on the swimming behavior (Reynolds number) of a swimmer?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Aatish Bhatia
  • Animator Brad Purnell
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from Getting Under Our Skin