The discussion centers on the mechanics of a housefly's movement within a moving vehicle, specifically addressing how it maintains speed without direct contact with the car. It is established that the fly is carried by the air inside the car, requiring no additional energy to fly within this environment. If the fly is initially stationary and then takes off, it retains the car's horizontal velocity due to the absence of horizontal forces acting on it. In a vacuum, the fly cannot sustain flight as it relies on air for lift, which is generated by pushing down against the air.
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Doc Al said:It's being carried along by the air inside the car. It requires no more energy to fly around inside the moving car than it would flying around inside your home.
How is it flying then?abhiroop_k said:what if there were a vacuum inside the car?...
Assuming the fly is moving at the same speed as the car, it will keep moving at that speed unless something exerts a force on it to change.would the fly move towards the rear of the car eventually? (if it isn't in contact with the car initially)
That's right. To keep himself aloft (against gravity) he must continually push down on the air (which pushes him up).abhiroop_k said:the fly cannot fly in a vacuum because it needs an upthrust for flight which is provided by the air moving downwards??