Rahel Ahmed 115 UB
Year 11 Coursework
Why Penguins Huddle?
Aim: An investigation into why penguins huddle.
Factors:
- The number of penguins in the huddle
- The size of the penguins in the huddle
- The amount of insulation (feathers and fat) on each penguin
I have chosen to investigate Number One, The number of penguins in the huddle.
Prediction: I predict if I increase the number of penguins in the huddle the temperature will drop less rapidly.
Scientific Theory:
A bird is any animal that is a homeothermic vertebrate animal with a pair of modified upper limbs that support or supported flight at one time in the evolutionary development of the animal. A penguin would be any animal that belongs to the class Aves, which contains all birds, is incapable of flight due to loss of the proper machinery, is naturally restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, moves about by swimming and walking, nests on land, and shares similar morphological features -- mainly color and striping patterns -- between the sexes.
Research:
Penguins live in very low temperatures, Antarctic and North Pole, South Pole are good examples. Penguins like these areas because some penguins actually overheat in these warm regions. It is a noticeable trend that the colder the region, the larger the penguin. This trend is based upon a simple physical property that the smaller the surface area to volume ratio, the smaller the extent of heat loss. In other words, if you have a lot of surface area, you have a lot of area to interface with the cold air and cold water. Therefore, it is easier to lose heat. Little-blue penguins have the largest surface area to volume ratios, so they must live in warmer climates. Emperor penguins have the smallest surface area to volume, and they retain heat easier than the smaller penguins. However, emperor penguins do have problems retaining heat. That is why they form creches (huddles) during the winter.
