If an insect is inside of a container, but flying, is it adding weight to the container?

Question

If an insect is inside of a container, but flying, is it adding weight to the container?

In: 133

Answer 1

Yes, it doesn’t matter what the fly is doing in there, as long as it’sstationary. If it’s flying, a scale would read that the jar is heavier by the weight of the fly because the fly is pushing air down with the same force that gravity is pulling it down.

If the fly is actively flying upwards then the scale would read a little more, for the same reason that a scale reads more when you’re crouched down and start to jump up.