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

Question

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.

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

only the mass of the mouse

Answer 1

The correct response is:

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

When a snake eats a mouse, it will gain mass from the mouse, but not all of the mass will contribute to an increase in the snake's body mass due to the waste that is excreted. Therefore, the increase in the snake's mass is essentially the mass of the mouse minus what is expelled as waste.