A young snake eats and digests a mouse. The increase in the snake’s mass equals(1 point)

Responses

the mass of the mouse plus the original mass of the snake.
the mass of the mouse plus the original mass of the snake.

only the mass of the mouse
only the mass of the mouse

the mass of the mouse minus the mass of waste produced by the snake.
the mass of the mouse minus the mass of waste produced by the snake.

the mass of the mouse plus the mass of waste produced by the snake.

1 answer

The correct response is:

the mass of the mouse minus the mass of waste produced by the snake.

This is because the snake's increase in mass will be based on the nutrients it absorbs from the mouse, which will be less than the total mass of the mouse due to the waste that is produced during digestion.