Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Mike Zinner on 14/11/2010 21:30:04

Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: Mike Zinner on 14/11/2010 21:30:04: Mike Zinner asked the Naked Scientists:

I look forward to the podcast each week (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/).Â It took me quite a while to catch up to the present shows (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) as I've listened to all of them to date.Â I hope the show runs as long as you folks want it to.
Â
My question actually comes from a cartoon panel in a 1940 New Yorker magazine:

If I have a small truck with 500 lbs of birds in the cargo area, and 1/2 of them are in flight at any one momemt, will the weight be less?Â
Â
Mike Zinner
Minneapolis, Minnesota (yes it's getting quite cold already) USA

What do you think?
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: SteveFish on 14/11/2010 22:25:24: This would have no affect on the weight of the truck.
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: thedoc on 10/12/2010 15:26:06: We discussed this question on our show
We answered this with regards transporting birds in aeroplanes...
Dave - Not for very long. Basically, birds hold themselves up by pushing air downwards and so, as they push air downwards, they get an equal opposite reaction, they're held upwards. The problem is that the air is going to keep on moving downwards until it hits something else. If it were in a plane, it will hit the bottom of the plane and therefore, that air will get slowed down and itâ€™ll transfer exactly the same force to the plane. So for the time it takes for the movement of air to get from the bird to the plane, the plane will weigh less but as soon the air hits the plane, then it will go back to what it weighed before.
Click to visit the show page for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2010.11.28/) Alternatively, [chapter podcast=2913 track=10.11.28/Naked_Scientists_Show_10.11.28_7587.mp3](https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Ftypo3conf%2Fext%2Fnaksci_podcast%2Fgnome-settings-sound.gif&hash=f2b0d108dc173aeaa367f8db2e2171bd) listen to the answer now[/chapter] or [download as MP3] (http://nakeddiscovery.com/downloads/split_individual/10.11.28/Naked_Scientists_Show_10.11.28_7587.mp3)
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: CZARCAR on 30/11/2010 21:29:05: yes, if the the floor of the trailer was made of grates with holes that would allow for the flutterforces to pass thru the floor?
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: Geezer on 30/11/2010 23:51:50: Quote from: CZARCAR on 30/11/2010 21:29:05
yes, if the the floor of the trailer was made of grates with holes that would allow for the flutterforces to pass thru the floor?

I think you'd need to do something similar with the roof too.
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: Bored chemist on 01/12/2010 11:59:13: Why do people keep asking the same question?
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: Don_1 on 01/12/2010 12:01:29: I don't think you would have the room for the birds to fly. Get a bigger truck, say a 13.6m artic (semi).

Oooo Ouch! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fhitting%2F2.gif&hash=145489d02b30678baf42ff3e5490a9ba) You nitpicking, padantic old git!
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: CZARCAR on 01/12/2010 13:22:32: Quote from: Bored chemist on 01/12/2010 11:59:13
Why do people keep asking the same question?
the birds ate the fly so the followup was impossible.
Title: Does it weigh less to transport flying birds?
Post by: rosy on 01/12/2010 13:45:01: Quote
Why do people keep asking the same question?
Because the people whose name appears in black by their post* (rather than as a link to their forum profile) have sent questions to The Naked Scientists radio show by e-mail/twitter/facebook, and thus don't actually know that this is a question that crops up on the forum regularly. Their questions are then posted here by the TNS team (and they're sent a link to the thread.. quite a number of people subsequently register for proper accounts and join the forum by this route).

* Except for the people who've posted on the forum themselves and then for one reason or another chosen to delete their account