Concept explainers
If you were trapped on a cold mountain, why would it make sense for you to sit in a crouched position and grab your knees? (Hint: A piece of wire will cool faster when stretched out than when rolled up into a ball.)
To Explain: It is important to sit in a crouched position and grab the knees when someone is trapped on a cold mountain.
Explanation of Solution
On a cold mountain, there is a huge temperature difference between the human body and surroundings and due to this, the rate of heat loss from the body by radiation is high.
This rate of heat loss is proportional to the surface area of the body; more the surface area of the body of any object, more the rate of heat loss by radiation.
The surface area of a human body is less in the crouched position as compared to the normal position, so in a crouched position, the rate of heat loss is less compared to the normal position.
Conclusion:
It is important to sit in a crouched position and grab the knees when someone is trapped on a cold mountain in order to reduce the hear loss from the body.
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