An animal was kept at air temperatures of 5, 15, 25, 35 and 45 °C…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
An animal was kept at air temperatures of , , , and . Its body temperatures were , , , and .
- What is the range of its body temperature, from the smallest to the largest value?
- What is the slope of the best straight line through the points? Give it to two decimals.
- Use the rule that a slope below is a regulator and above a conformer. What kind of animal is it?
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. Air: . Body: .
Plan. The range is a difference. The slope comes from the deviations from the means.
Step 1. The range. .
Step 2. The means. Air: . Body: .
Step 3. The slope. The products of the deviations add up to , and the squares of the deviations of the air add up to . So the slope is .
Step 4. The kind. is between and . The animal regulates only in part.
Answer: ; ; it regulates in part, between a regulator and a conformer.
Check. The body temperature changes by less than the air does ( against ), so the slope is below .
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