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Glide Don't Flap!
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| Dr. David Gibo is a glider pilot who studies monarch flight |
A biologist named Dr. David Gibo studies monarch butterfly flight. In one experiment, he wanted to find out how much energy monarchs use when they fly.
Dr. David Gibo compared the energy a monarch burns during "flapping flight" and "soaring/gliding flight." He discovered that flapping flight is an expensive way to fly! In contrast, soaring/gliding flight is nearly free.
Here are his results:
| Using
the same amount of energy (140 mg), a monarch could fly for: |
|
| 44 hours | Flapping Flight |
| 1,000 hours |
|
Journal Question:
- How many times more energy does a monarch burn in flapping flight than in soaring/gliding flight?
- Try the math. Then check our answer. >>
