Give several examples of how physics applies to chemistry, meteorology, and
biology.
A Cricket Thermometer All chemical reactions, whether organic or inorganic,
proceed at a rate that depends on temperature - the higher the temperature,
the higher the rate of reaction. This can be explained in terms of molecules
moving with increased energy as the temperature is increased and colliding
with other molecules more frequently. In the case of organic reactions, the
result is that metabolic processes speed up with increasing temperature.
An increased or decreased metabolic rate can manifest itself in a number of
ways. For example, a cricket trying to attract a mate chirps at a rate that
depends on the overall rate of its metabolism. As a result, the chirping rate
of crickets depends directly on temperature. In fact, some people even use a
pet cricket as a thermometer.
The cricket that is most accurate as a thermometer is the snowy tree cricket
(Oecanthus fultoni Walker). Its rate of chirping is described by the following
equation:
$$
\begin{aligned}
N &=\text { number of chirps in } 7.0 \text { seconds } \\
&=T-5.0
\end{aligned}
$$
In this expression, \(T\) is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
