Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Corey Wolffs on 08/07/2008 12:34:15
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Corey Wolffs asked the Naked Scientists:
I am an art student in Oakland, California and I just wanted to say thank you for such a fantastic show.
I wanted to ask about bees. One day while I was sitting outside, I saw a large bumble bee crawling about while madly beating its wings. I then remembered someone saying that a bee's wingspan was far too small for its massive body and that bee flight was scientifically and aerodynamically impossible. I was wondering if you at the Naked Scientist could shed some light on this bee-nigma. Thank you.
Corey Wolffs
What do you think?
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I believe it has something to do with the bee clapping its wings behind its back which creates extra lift. I'm not sure how that works.
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It's a rural myth!
http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_09_13_04.html
There are some other links too if you go back from here
[;)]
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Corey,
Was the time of day morning? Was the temperature cool? It sounds like the bee might have been warming up its flight muscles by vibrating the wings.
Spaceman
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The main reason is that you can't just scale aerodynamics. You can't be subjective about such matters. For a bee, the air is very 'thick' compared with how it is on our scale. Insects will fall at a very low terminal velocity because their weight is so small. For a bee in air, it's almost like it is for humans swimming in water - despite the fact that insects are still heavier than air.