question archive Which physical principle of heat transfer explains why a bird's feathers lift away from the body slightly when temp drops? a) Fluffing decreases the surface-area-to-volume ration b) fluffing creates a pocket of air near the bird that acts as insulation c) fluffing decreases the amount of heat lost by conduction when the bird makes contact with cold objects d) fluffing feather results in less cooling by radiation because feathers emit less infrared radiation
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Which physical principle of heat transfer explains why a bird's feathers lift away from the body slightly when temp drops?
a) Fluffing decreases the surface-area-to-volume ration
b) fluffing creates a pocket of air near the bird that acts as insulation
c) fluffing decreases the amount of heat lost by conduction when the bird makes contact with cold objects
d) fluffing feather results in less cooling by radiation because feathers emit less infrared radiation.
The answer is B
Step-by-step explanation
Feather are used in birds for heat regulation. a bird's feathers lift away from the body slightly when temp drops to create pocket of air near the bird that acts as insulation. This process is fluffing. The air pockets created, trap air in them and the air acts as insulation against heat loss. On the other hand, when its hot, the feathers lie flat to encourage heat loss to the atmosphere thus cooling the body of the bird.