🚀 go-pugleaf

>  If one has a half-ton pickup, and a box containing one ton of
> birds was placed in the bed of the truck, the load would be too heavy
> for the truck to move.  But what would happen if the box was beaten
> with a stick, causing at least half of the birds to start to fly inside
> the box, since the pickup can haul one half of a ton.  Would the truck
> be able too move?  Would the same result occur if the situation was
> identical, but took place in an airplane?
>
I presume the airplane is totally enclosed so whatever lift the birds get is
at the expense of downward air pressure, so the weight is the same.  But if
the truckload of birds is open to the outside some proportion (not 100% surely)
of that downward force of air will be against the ground rather than the truck, 
so I'd say more than half of the birds would have to fly.

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Mark Aitchison, Physics & Astronomy       Phone : +64 3 3642-947 a.h. 3371-225
University of Canterbury,                 Fax   : +64 3 3642-469  or  3642-999
Christchurch, New Zealand.                E-mail: phys169@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
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