Who Heats Up Faster: Does Surface Area Really Matter?

Abstract

In this experiment we are testing whether if different surface area/volume ratio effect how quickly a clay model can absorb heat. Bergmann’s rule states that larger sized animals are found in colder regions while smaller sized animals are found in warmer areas. Our hypothesis states that animals with a higher surface area/volume ratio will stay warmer in cooler climates than animals with a lower surface area/volume ratio because they retain heat longer. We decided to test our hypothesis by heating up different clay models. By doing this we are able to see that a model with a higher surface area/volume ratio will heat up more quickly than a model with a lower surface area/ volume ratio. This evidence backs our hypothesis that a model with a high surface area/volume ratio will heat up more quickly than a model with a lower surface area/volume ratio.