Question

A person swims for 0.50 h and uses 250 kcal. How many moles of ATP are used to provide this amount of energy?

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Understand the problem. The goal is to determine how many moles of ATP are used to provide 250 kcal of energy during swimming. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the molecule that provides energy for cellular processes, and its energy release per mole is approximately 7.3 kcal/mol. Step 2: Write the relationship between energy and moles of ATP. The energy released per mole of ATP is given as 7.3 kcal/mol. Use the formula:

n = \frac{E}{ΔH}

, where

n

is the number of moles,

E

is the energy used (250 kcal), and

ΔH

is the energy released per mole of ATP (7.3 kcal/mol). Step 3: Substitute the given values into the formula. Replace

E

with 250 kcal and

ΔH

with 7.3 kcal/mol in the formula:

n = \frac{250}{7.3}

. Step 4: Perform the division to calculate the number of moles of ATP. Divide 250 kcal by 7.3 kcal/mol to find the value of

n

. This step will give the number of moles of ATP used. Step 5: Interpret the result. The calculated value represents the number of moles of ATP required to provide 250 kcal of energy during swimming. Ensure the units are consistent and the result makes sense in the context of the problem.

A person swims for 0.50 h and uses 250 kcal. How many moles of ATP are used to provide this amount of energy?

Key Concepts

Energy Conversion in Metabolism

Caloric Value of ATP

Stoichiometry in Biochemical Reactions