A small mammal uses 50 kJ in every hour when it is active…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A small mammal uses kJ in every hour when it is active. In hibernation its rate falls to per cent of that. The winter lasts days, and the animal is in hibernation for all of it.
- How much energy does it use in the days of hibernation?
- How much would an active animal use in the same time?
- What share of the energy is saved?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A regulator keeps its body temperature steady, and a conformer has the temperature of its surroundings. Beyond its limits, a regulator conforms. A bear hibernates in winter. Some snails and fish aestivate in summer. Zooplankton enter diapause. Cranes migrate. A very small body loses heat fast.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. Active rate: kJ in an hour. Hibernating rate: of it. Time: hours.
Plan. Find the two energies, then the share saved.
Step 1. Hibernating. kJ in an hour. kJ.
Step 2. Active. kJ.
Step 3. Saved. kJ. As a share: , so .
Answer: kJ; kJ; .
Check. The saved share is , as it must be.
Watch out. The numbers belong to a teaching model. Real animals differ in how deep their hibernation is.
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