If an insect is inside of a container, but flying, is it adding weight to the container?
In: 133
Weight is equal to Mass multiplied by the strength of gravity.
The mass of an object is constant regardless and for the purposes of this example, the gravitational pull on these objects is also constant. Therefore, the weight of both the jar and the fly do not change.
With that in hand, the question becomes “is the combined weight of the jar and fly equal more than the jar itself” to which the answer is obviously yes since the fly’s weight cannot be zero.
A flying/buoyant object does add to overall weight however, it spreads that weight over a wider area that can be difficult to measure. For example, a balloon full of Helium still has weight but it’s almost impossible to measure practically.
I won’t get into the technical difference between weight and mass and how that changes this question significantly. It’s awfully pedantic and I don’t want to be the one to open that jar of flies.
Latest Answers