How does a fly fly in a car going 50 miles an hour?

Answer 1

because absolutely everything in the car is moving 50 miles an hour. It's already overcome its inertia, possibly by sitting on a window at the back of the car, and is already moving 50 mph when the car is. therefore, it has a certain volume in which it can fly around at 50 mph with respect to the outdoors, but at its normal speed with respect to the innards of the car (passengers, etc.).

Answer 2

The air in the car is also going 50 mph. The car itself is a somewhat self contained frame of reference. The fly moves relative to the air in the car, which is stationary relative to the car. So, it flies as if the car isn't moving.

When the car is accelerating or decelerating, the fly will bounce around the cabin a bit.

Answer 3

Because when he takes off he has the same speed as his frame of reference, which is zero!!! Look at yourself in the car. How fast are you going? ZERO because you are sitting there not moving at all! However, stationary objects like road signs and all are coming at you at 50mph. A car doing 40mph is coming at you at 90mph!! Frame of reference!!!

Another way to look at this is to look at the fly from the side of the road as you approach in the car. The observer sees the fly moving at him at 50mph. When the fly takes off, the observer sees that he has the same 50mph speed plus any extra he gains from taking off--gains if he flys toward the observer; loses if he flys the other way..

This is the same thing as saying why don't we move forward when we jump up very high. Because we are really moving at the same speed the earth is turning!

Answer 4

Well....easy...

Assuming the windows are closed and no wind resistance...
then the only issue is acceleration of the car.
If a=0, then the fly will fly at the speed of the car.
if a < 0 (decelerate), then the fly will hit the windscreen.
if a > 0 , then the fly will hit your face..:)

Answer 5

A fly in a car can fly as it usually does. The same as you can sit in a moving car just as you sit in a chair at home.

Answer 6

The same way you walk around in a plane going 500 miles an hour.

Answer 7

Kevin R and most of the others are right, but, wouldn't you rather know what would happen to the fly when you slam on the brakes or plow into a stone wall?

Answer 8

Same as those other ones but chew on this one does a plane fly even thou the world is moving at 1500miles an hour?

Answer 9

as long as the windows are up and AC is on, a fly can fly because there is no g-force on it. if the windows are down and the fly gets in the wind circulation, it is a goner, adios fly. ou the window you go

Answer 10

the fly's frame of reference is slower than the Vdne for the fly; after that, it's a matter of aerodynamic flight principles put to work by a biological oranism. See http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0423_030423_flyflight.html

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/March00/APS_Wang.hrs.html

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/00/3.30.00/insect_flight.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/spy-fly1.htm