If a spider's silk was 10cm thick will it still be stronger than steel of the same thickness?

Question

If a spider's silk was 10cm thick will it still be stronger than steel of the same thickness?

Answer 1

You about have to call it a tie. When testing tensile strength (the ability to resist tearing when stretched), some tests rate spider silk a little higher than steel and others show the reverse. Either way, they are very close and silk is obviously much lighter.

Answer 2

The strength of Spiders silk is so strong (for it's size) that us mere humans are unable to reproduce anything similar.

It is said that if steel was made to the same thickness as the silk from a spider, the silk would break much later than the steel.

So it is indeed possible for silk to be stronger at 10cm than steel is.

Answer 3

The strengths are comparable, but opinions differ. See the reference.