Big objects break because they are heavier than small objects, so they hit the ground harder.

You might think that a big object is also stronger than a small object. That's true, but it's not enough to compensate for the heaviness.

To see why, imagine two objects of the same shape, one twice as long as the other. Since the big object has twice the height, twice the width, and twice the depth, it will weigh eight times as much as the small object. But it's strength is roughly in proportion to how thick it is - twice as wide and twice as deep. It is only four times as strong.

J.S. Haldane memorably wrote about animals falling down mine shafts: A rat is killed, a man is broken, a horse splashes.

Big objects break because they are heavier than small objects, so they hit the ground harder.

You might think that a big object is also stronger than a small object. That's true, but it's not enough to compensate for the heaviness.

To see why, imagine two objects of the same shape, one twice as long as the other. Since the big object has twice the height, twice the width, and twice the depth, it will weigh eight times as much as the small object. But it's strength is roughly in proportion to how thick it is - twice as wide and twice as deep. It is only four times as strong.

J.S. Haldane memorably wrote about animals falling down mine shafts: "A rat is killed, a man is broken, a horse splashes."