alleryStart learning →How does eating relate to the first law of thermodynamics, as applied to the human body?
AEating adds chemical potential energy
BEating removes internal energy as heat
CEating has no effect on internal energy
DEating only changes temperature, not energy
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Eating adds chemical potential energy
1. Metabolism is treated as an example of the first law of thermodynamics applied to a living body.
2. Eating increases the body's internal energy by adding chemical potential energy from food.
3. This energy is later released by heat and by work done by the body's cells.
4. Saying eating has no effect, decreases energy, or only changes temperature all contradict this description.
5. So eating increasing internal energy through chemical potential energy is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 "Thermodynamics", section 12.2 First law of Thermodynamics: Thermal Energy and Work_
Keep practising Thermodynamics
Browse all Thermodynamics questions for GCE O-Level (Singapore), or explore more Physics topics.
Related questions
What condition would be required for a heat engine to reach 100 percent thermal efficiencyIn the heat pump described, which component raises the temperature and pressure of the worA coal power station transfers 3.0 x 10^12 J by heat from burning coal and releases 1.5 x A coal power station operates at 40.0 percent efficiency and takes in 1.20 x 10^12 J by heA heat engine takes in 6.0 kJ of heat and produces 4.8 kJ of waste heat. What is its efficA heat engine is given 120 J of heat and releases 20 J of heat to the environment. How mucWhat is a cyclical process, as used to describe heat engines?What does a heat engine do?