Will a Fly Survive a Car Accident?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a fly traveling inside a car would survive a collision with a brick wall. Participants explore various factors such as speed, mass, and the dynamics of the fly's movement within the vehicle.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the fly might lose enough momentum before hitting the front window or dashboard to survive the impact.
  • Another participant questions the survivability based on the density of the fly, implying that a butterfly might have a different outcome.
  • A different viewpoint expresses doubt about the fly's survival, noting that it depends on the speed of the car and the mass of the fly.
  • One participant emphasizes that the part of the fly's body that hits the wall first and the car's speed are critical factors, mentioning momentum as a key concept.
  • Another participant states that there are too many unknowns to adequately address the question.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the survivability of the fly, with no consensus reached on the factors that would ultimately determine the outcome.

Contextual Notes

Factors such as the speed of the car, the mass of the fly, and the dynamics of the collision are mentioned, but the discussion does not resolve how these factors interact or their specific impacts.

[initial steve]
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Would a fly traveling in a car that hits a brick wall be killed?

Windows closed, fly around the middle of the car.. aircon off :P

Im thinking that the fly would lose enough momentum before it hits the front window or dashboard to survive..

:D
 
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i dunno, i mean flys are pretty pudgy (dense)
if it was a butterfly maybe
 
They generally do not like to die :(

I doubt they would die...

EDIT: It depends on the speed of the car and the mass of the bug I suppose.
 
well, i think it depends on which part of the body hits the wall first and the speed of the car before collision because mometum is the product of speed and mass of the object and i don't think flying in a car will reduce much velocity by the friction of air and body.
 
There are way to many unknowns to even consider the question.
 

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