Content Objective: Design an experiment to investigate one variable affecting the heat conservation in a penguin huddle.
Emperor penguins huddle together to conserve heat and survive the extreme cold of the Antarctic. This behaviour helps them maintain a higher ambient temperature within the huddle, reducing energy expenditure. By huddling, penguins can raise the temperature inside the huddle to above 20°C, even when external temperatures are around -50°C. Understanding the dynamics of huddling can provide insights into how penguins survive and conserve energy.
Tasks:
Design and carry out an experiment in groups to test how one variable, of your choice, affects heat loss in penguins' huddling (represented by test tubes filled with warm water).
Videos
Scientific Articles
Emperor Penguins’ Huddles Change in Response to Weather
Influence of Environmental Conditions on the Huddling Behavior of Emperor Penguins
Huddling behavior in emperor penguins: Dynamics of huddling
Energy saving processes in huddling emperor penguins: from experiments to theory
The Occurrence and Purpose of Huddling by Emperor Penguins During Foraging Trips
*Hint - Using ChatGPT is an excellent way to understand these articles and pullout relevant data.