## msumner one year ago why do bigger animals use energy more efficiently than smaller ones?

1. msumner

$E=M^{\frac{ 3 }{ 4 }}$

2. modphysnoob

|dw:1364609079923:dw|

3. modphysnoob

|dw:1364613658132:dw|

4. modphysnoob

by the way , I think you meant to say |dw:1364614621701:dw|

5. msumner

it is an equation provided from the fractal study of energy consumption efficiency by mass

6. modphysnoob

because unit for mass and energy doesn't match up hence they can equal each other

7. msumner
8. msumner

so our M is not mass :X since mass is small m in physics

9. modphysnoob
10. Nubia9811

Because Bigger animals need more energy to survive and smaller animals don't need as much because of their size.

11. msumner

no… M is still mass in that equation E is the energy consumption in calories? if we say that is the rate of metabolism (q) then what amount of energy required - how much calorie per gram? I think I stumbled on a very complicated living system processes :/ and may need a decade to get to fully understand

12. msumner

@Nubia9811 we know that bigger animals require more energy, but we are talking about the rate of efficiency. Meaning that big animals, like elephant, use energy more efficient than small ones like mouse. Let us say we need 10,000 mouse to be the same mass of an elephant, the sum of consumption of energy will be higher for the mouse compared to one elephant though they of the same mass.

13. modphysnoob
14. msumner

can you do that alongside where E=M?

15. modphysnoob

yes, http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Plot%5Bx%2Cx%5E%283%2F4%29%2C%7Bx%2C0%2C5000%7D%5D of course , we can see , it is much lower as mass increase

16. msumner

17. modphysnoob

yes, we have to look for as mass get really big

18. msumner

now let us focus on the question: why?

19. modphysnoob

that would be a deep question , wouldn't it?