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Chapter 16: Problem 30

Why do reptiles move more sluggishly in cold weather?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Reptiles move more sluggishly in cold weather because they are ectothermic, meaning they rely on environmental temperature to regulate their body temperature. When it's cold, their metabolic processes slow down, including muscle movement, leading to sluggish behavior.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding reptilian physiology

Reptiles are a class of ectotherms, which means they rely on the surrounding environment to regulate their body temperature. Ectotherms do not generate their own heat, unlike endotherms (mammals and birds), and therefore their metabolic rate is heavily influenced by the temperature of their environment.
02

Effect of cold on movement

When the weather is cold, a reptile's environment is also cold. Because reptiles are ectothermic, they cannot generate their own heat and their body temperature drops. A lower body temperature leads to a decrease in the metabolic processes of the reptile’s body, which include muscular activity.
03

Understanding sluggish movement

With slowed metabolic processes, a reptile's movement becomes slower and more sluggish. Their muscles do not respond as quickly or as effectively in the cold as they do in warmer temperatures.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain how a graph can be useful in defining and measuring the rate of a chemical reaction.

Explain how to calculate a reaction rate from concentration-versus-time data.

Suggest ways of measuring concentration in a reaction mixture.

Using chemical terminology, explain the purpose of food refrigeration.

The graphing calculator can run a program that can tell you the order of a chemical reaction, provided you indicate the reactant concentrations and reaction rates for two experiments involving the same reaction. Go to Appendix C. If you are using a TI-83 Plus, you can download the program RXNORDER and run the application as directed. If you are using another calculator, your teacher will provide you with key-strokes and data sets to use. At the prompts, enter the reactant concentrations and reaction rates. Run the program as needed to find the order of the following reactions. (All rates are given in M/s.) a. \(2 \mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}(g) \rightarrow 4 \mathrm{NO}_{2}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g)\) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5} :\) conc. \(1=0.025 \mathrm{M} ;\) conc. \(2=0.040 \mathrm{M}\) rate \(1=8.1 \times 10^{-5} ;\) rate \(2=1.3 \times 10^{-4}\) b. \(2 \mathrm{NO}_{2}(g) \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{NO}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g)\) \(\mathrm{NO}_{2} : \mathrm{conc.} 1=0.040 \mathrm{M} ; \mathrm{conc} .2=0.080 \mathrm{M}\) rate \(1=0.0030 ;\) rate \(2=0.012\) c. \(2 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g)\) \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2} :\) conc. \(1=0.522 \mathrm{M} ;\) conc. \(2=0.887 \mathrm{M}\) rate \(1=1.90 \times 10^{-4} ;\) rate \(2=3.23 \times 10^{-4}\) d. \(2 \mathrm{NOBr}(g) \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{NO}(g)+\mathrm{Br}_{2}(g)\) NOBr: conc. \(1=1.27 \times 10^{-4} \mathrm{M} ;\) conc. \(2=\) \(4.04 \times 10^{-4} \mathrm{M}\) rate \(1=6.26 \times 10^{-5} ;\) rate \(2=6.33 \times 10^{-4}\) e. \(2 \mathrm{HI}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_{2}(g)+\mathrm{I}_{2}(g)\) HI: conc. \(1=4.18 \times 10^{-4} \mathrm{M} ;\) conc. \(2=\) \(8.36 \times 10^{-4} \mathrm{M}\) rate \(1=3.86 \times 10^{-5} ;\) rate \(2=1.54 \times 10^{-4}\)
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