Chapter 30, Problem 12A

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The experiment to check if the hippopotamus sweat is useful as sunscreen or not.

Introduction:

The hippopotamus is a mammal that is large in size and native to the sub Saharan African region. They have a specialized gland in their skin which secretes a seat mixed with other molecules that perform many functions.

Explanation of Solution

For testing, if the seat of the hippopotamus is an effective sunscreen or not, first the sweat of hippo should be collected. Then a bead that is able to absorb UV light should be coated with this sweat and one normal bead should be taken. Both of these beads should be placed in the sun for a day and then observed. If the sweat is an effective sunscreen then the absorption ratio of the beads should be different. The bead coated in the sweat should have absorbed less UV rays.