 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
How Many Monarchs on a Branch?
Discussion of Challenge Question #1
|
|
"If one monarch weighs 500 mg, then a branch full of 15,000 butterflies would weigh 7,500,000 mg. Since there are 1000 mg. to a gram, that means the butterflies would weight 7,500 grams. This would mean they were 7.5 kilograms. A kilogram is the same as 2.2 pounds. So the butterflies weight 16.5 pounds."
Ashley at Ferrisburgh Central School
(lthurfer@pop.k12.vt.us)
Dear Journey North,
We think that a branch of monarch butterflies weighs up to 7,500 grams, which is seven and a half kilograms. We used a T- chart to change the kilograms into pounds. The number of pounds was 16 and a half. Our T-chart looked like this-
kilograms
pounds
1
2.2
2
4.4
3
6.6
4
8.8
5
11
6
13.2
7
15.4
1/2
1.1
7 & 1/2
16.5
Mr. Phillips's Third Grade Class
Davisville, WV
(jsphilli@access.k12.wv.us)
Other things that weigh as much as a branch full of monarch butterflies:
- A Thanksgiving turkey! say Avian and Ariel.
- South Park Elementary's Imagewriter II printer weighs 18 lb--or, 4/5 of a box of Ferrisburgh Central School's computer paper (which weighs 20 pounds).
- 2 gallons of water, a big house cat, or a large rock.
- And even some people! (Rod's little 1 year old cousin and, if Auriana's new 8 pound baby sister had a twin sister, together they would weigh about as much as a branch of monarch butterflies.)
Copyright 1999 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
|
|
|
|
|
|
