Bumblebee
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The bumblebee is a four-winged insect. Its wings swivel and flap, knocking into each other which produces a buzzing sound. Despite the small area of its wings, the swirling vortices produced when the wings collide provide additional lift. [1]
According to a persistent urban legend, the laws of physics supposedly say that "bumblebees can't fly". This stems a rough calculation based on the assumption that their wings are smooth and fixed like that of an airplane. [2] Strobe photography of bumblebees in flight shows how the wings move.
Notes
- ↑ Geek News FAQ
- ↑ Flight of the Bumblebee - Ivars Peterson