Question

Imagine that an Arctic fox has just captured its prey, an Arctic sea bird, and begins to consume it. In what way will the energy in the bird be transferred or transformed? a) Chemical energy to kinetic energy b) Kinetic energy to potential energy c) Chemical energy to thermal energy d) Thermal energy to chemical energy

Answer 1

The chemical energy stored in the Arctic seabird is transferred and transformed into kinetic energy for the Arctic fox's movement and hunting as well as into thermal energy to maintain the fox's body temperature in the Arctic environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the Arctic fox consumes the Arctic seabird, the chemical energy within the bird's body gets transformed into energy which the fox can use. Specifically, this can be considered as the conversion of chemical energy to kinetic energy (option a) because the energy stored in the biomass of the bird (chemical energy) will be absorbed by the fox's body and converted into kinetic energy for movement, hunting, etc.

Moreover, some of the bird's chemical energy will also be transformed into thermal energy, as part of it will be used to maintain the fox's body temperature, especially crucial in the harsh and cold Arctic environment. Therefore, option c) Chemical energy to thermal energy would also be accurate as the energy in the bird is transformed in this way as well.

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