Camels require very little water because they are able to tolerate relatively la

Question

Camels require very little water because they are able to tolerate relatively large changes in their body temperature. While humans keep their body temperatures constant to within one or two Celsius degrees, a dehydrated camel permits its body temperature to drop to 34.0C overnight and rise to 40.0C during the day. (Note: The specific heat of a camel or other mammal is about the same as that of a typical human, 3480 J/(kgK). The heat of vaporization of water at 34C is2.42 × 106 J/kg.)

To see how effective this mechanism is for saving water, calculate how many liters of water a 400 kg camel would have to drink if it attempted to keep its body temperature at a constant 34.0C by evaporation of sweat during the day (12 hours) instead of letting it rise to 40.0C.

Explanation / Answer

Q= 3480 J/(kgK) * 400 Kg * 6 K
= 8352000 J

Q= Lv * m

m = Q/Lv
= 8352000 J/ (2.42*10^6 J/Kg)
= 3.45 Kg

density of water = 1 Kg/L

So, Volume of required water = 3.45 L

Answer: 3.45L

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse C
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.