Why Can a Flea Jump So High?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why can a flea jump so high?

The Big Idea

A flea can jump so high because its legs have a tiny built-in spring! The spring is made of a rubbery protein called resilin. It stores energy and then lets it out all at once.

Squeeze the Pad

Step one: squeeze the spring. A flea's legs have a tiny springy pad of resilin. It is a rubbery protein that stretches and snaps back, like a tiny rubber band.

Lock It In

Step two: lock it in. The flea squeezes the pad and locks it in place. That stores up energy, like a pulled-back slingshot.

Release!

Step three: let go. Then it releases the energy all at once, with a burst of power that muscles alone could not make. The flea can jump over 100 times its own body length.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! A flea has strong back legs. A springy pad of resilin sits at the top. A lock holds the energy in. When it lets go, the flea launches into the air.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! A flea's jump is faster than the blink of an eye. If you could jump like a flea, you could leap over a tall building. Fleas are tiny insects, only a few millimeters long, and they cannot fly. Ask a grown-up to check pets for fleas, and never pick one up.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, measure how far you can jump from a standing start. Divide that by your height. How many body lengths did you jump? A flea jumps more than a hundred.

Outro

Fleas are tiny jumping champions thanks to a built-in spring. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!