3 ms·

Also of note, Ants are attracted to electric fields as well. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25085325 https://www.jstor.org/stable/25085325 > Ants are strongly a

Also of note, Ants are attracted to electric fields as well. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25085325 https://www.jstor.org/stable/25085325 > Ants are strongly attracted to both AC and DC electric fields (Fig. 2). The numbers that accumulated increased with an increase in the voltage for both DC and AC voltages, and for all species. Some species (P. comanche, Ph. hyatti) show little or no response to voltages lower than 50 volts. Other species showed slight responses to lower voltages, although the response greatly increased at voltages above 60 volts. No difference in ants' responses was detected between AC and DC generated fields (Fig. 2), although ants leave AC powered points at a slower rate due to a possible residual effect of AC (MacKay et al., 1989). Ants of all three subfamilies responded in a similar manner.

beeforpork 5y ago
Volt is not a unit of an electric field. Talking about '50 volts' is complete nonsense in a context of an electric field. Also, a magnetic field around a wire will establish if there is a moving charge inside the wire, which can be established with any voltage -- as long as there is current, which is measured in ampere. Electric charge is measured in coulomb and magnetic fields are given in tesla -- so there cannot be a connection if they talk about 'volt'. I am not saying there isn't any link but I am saying that 'volt' is surely the wrong connection, so this should be taken with utmost caution.
- mattkrause 5y ago
  It's better in context. The unit of electric field strength is V/m. They put ants inside a test apparatus, so the "per meter" part is fixed (by its design) and the voltage is experimentally manipulated. They do use the right units elsewhere in the paper. I imagine this was done to avoid measuring the electric field in the electrode/air/floor/ant medium, which is not exactly homogeneous.

beeforpork 5y ago

Volt is not a unit of an electric field. Talking about '50 volts' is complete nonsense in a context of an electric field. Also, a magnetic field around a wire will establish if there is a moving charge inside the wire, which can be established with any voltage -- as long as there is current, which is measured in ampere. Electric charge is measured in coulomb and magnetic fields are given in tesla -- so there cannot be a connection if they talk about 'volt'. I am not saying there isn't any link but I am saying that 'volt' is surely the wrong connection, so this should be taken with utmost caution.

mattkrause 5y ago
It's better in context. The unit of electric field strength is V/m. They put ants inside a test apparatus, so the "per meter" part is fixed (by its design) and the voltage is experimentally manipulated. They do use the right units elsewhere in the paper. I imagine this was done to avoid measuring the electric field in the electrode/air/floor/ant medium, which is not exactly homogeneous.