Praxis: How penguins stay warm and other interesting facts
By Medicine Hat News on January 5, 2019.
I had an interesting discussion this past week about penguins. Yes, it may have seemed a bit strange, since this is not something we typically encounter on a daily basis on the prairies, but I have a young friend who absolutely loves penguins. With her in mind, I thought that I would investigate a little further so she could also learn a bit more about these fascinating creatures. Let’s get started! *Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment. Materials – large size zipper baggies – one package of shortening (they usually come in 454 gram packages) – ice – thermometer – bucket – stopwatch or timer – science helper Procedure 1. Place the package of shortening in the zipper bag and set aside for now. 2. Fill the bucket full of ice water. Allow it to sit for a few minutes so it can get really cold. You want it to be similar to the water the penguins would swim in while they are in the Antarctic waters. 3. Take the temperature of the ice water periodically so you can see what it is at. 4. Allow the temperature to get down to freezing in the bucket of ice water. 5. Set the timer and have your science helper place their hand in the freezing bucket of water. 6. Record how long they can keep it in there. 7. Now, have the science helper place their hand in the middle of the bag of shortening. Rub it all over so the hand is entirely covered up. 8. Place your hand covered in blubber in the bag into the bucket of ice water. 9. Set the timer to see how long the science helper can keep their hand in the water this time. What is going on? In this experiment, when you placed your hand in the water, you likely could not keep it here very long — probably less than 20 seconds. If you were to jump in the ocean in the Antarctic, this is likely what it would feel like. Did you know that temperatures average about -10 C but can plunge to -68 C further inland! This is why many animals and birds need to adapt to living in this environment. They have what I like to refer to as a layer of insulation under their fur or feathers. This layer of fat or blubber is what is able to keep them warm. In this experiment, you pretended that the shortening was like a layer of blubber when you stuck your hand in it before you placed it into the icy water. You likely could keep your hand in the water much longer when it was insulated by the “blubber.” I also did a bit of research on some interesting facts about penguins. Did you know? – There are 18 species of penguins and four of these live in the Antarctic. – Penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere Galapagos penguins live right on the equator and so there are a few penguins living in the northern hemisphere. – There is a penguin called the penguin! – Penguins are birds not mammals although they cannot fly. Penguins fulfill all of the biological requirements to be classified as birds; they have feathers, they lay eggs and they are warm blooded. – Penguin feathers are shorter and stiffer than other birds. This allows them to have better insulation and propel through the frigid waters at amazing speeds. – They have knees. – Penguins have dense bones unlike other birds. This allows them to swim and dive much better. – A penguin can dive up to 535 metres, although they generally stay at about 10 metres. – They can swim at speeds of up to 35 kilometres (22 miles) per hour. Do not forget, science fair is just around the corner — if you are looking for assistance in the classroom do not forget to call and book it as soon as possible. Patty Rooks is senior scientific consultant at PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. 35-34
