The Mercator projection is best within 15 degrees north or south of the equator. Landmasses or countries outside that zone get stretched out of shape. The further the feature is from the equator, the more out of shape it is stretched. For example, if you look at Greenland on a globe, you see it is a relatively small country near the North Pole. Yet, on a Mercator projection, Greenland looks almost as big the United States. Because Greenland is closer to the pole, the continent's shape and size are greatly increased. The United States is closer to its true dimensions. Will is comparing a map that is based off a Mercator projection and a globe. One of the first things he decides to compare is Iceland. After that he takes a look at a small island in the pacific, named Vraska, near the equator. Which appears more stretched on a Mercator projection, Iceland or Vraska?
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Answer: Iceland

Q: Ecology is the study of ecosystems. An ecosystem consists of all the living and nonliving components of the habitat. Whereas nutrients and certain elements are recycled through ecosystems, energy moves in just one direction. Many interactions among species within an ecosystem are centered around the flow of energy. The formation of ecosystems, from new land to current habitats, is usually based on the pioneer species, and these species are able to live in an area due to the nonliving factors, such as the climate, the soil and the amount of rainfall, of that area. The populations within an ecosystem also determine the stability of the system. Recent tremendous increases in the human population have raised many important ecological issues. Two friends were into natural sciences. Tom was more into Geology, while Rick studied Ecology. Which student read more about the study of ecosystems?
A: Rick

Question: The Hawaiian Islands ( Figure above ) are in the central Pacific Ocean. The islands are volcanoes that increase in age from southeast to northwest. The youngest island is the Big Island of Hawaii at the southeast end of the chain. The volcanoes get older through Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau Islands through the northwest. The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii has been erupting almost continuously since 1983. There are also eruptions at an underwater volcano called Loihi seamount. Loihi is the youngest volcano. Hawaii is a fantastic place to see volcanic eruptions and features. Grant and Fox were talking about flying to Hawaii for a tour of the islands. Grant was born on the Big Island, while Fox never visited Hawaii. Which friend lived closer to Niihau island?
Answer: Grant

[Q]: Light may transfer its energy to matter rather than being reflected or transmitted by matter. This is called absorption . When light is absorbed, the added energy increases the temperature of matter. If you get into a car that has been sitting in the sun all day, the seats and other parts of the car's interior may be almost too hot to touch, especially if they are black or very dark in color. That's because dark colors absorb most of the sunlight that strikes them. It is winter and Johnathan's car won't start, so he needs to walk to work. Even though it's sunny outside he's going to have to bundle up due to the cold temperature. In his closet there is a large black coat and a large white coat. He can't decide which coat to wear. Which coat should Johnathan wear if he wants to be warmer?
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[A]: black coat

input: Please answer the following: Animals and some bacteria and fungi carry out lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid is a waste product of this process. Our muscles perform lactic acid fermentation during strenuous exercise, since oxygen cannot be delivered to the muscles quickly enough. The buildup of lactic acid is believed to make your muscles sore after exercise. Bacteria that produce lactic acid are used to make cheese and yogurt. The lactic acid causes the proteins in milk to thicken. Lactic acid also causes tooth decay, because bacteria use the sugars in your mouth for energy. Two groups of microbiology students studied about the fermentation process. Group A studied about alcoholic and acetic fermentation, while group B studied about lactic fermentation. Which group learned more about proteins in milk thickening?
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output: group B

In nature, when the population size is small, there is usually plenty of food and other resources for each individual. When there is plenty of food and other resources, organisms can easily reproduce, so the birth rate is high. As the population increases, the food supply, or the supply of another necessary resource, may decrease. When necessary resources, such as food, decrease, some individuals will die. Overall, the population cannot reproduce at the same rate, so the birth rates drop. This will cause the population growth rate to decrease. John is studying a species in two similar countries, country A and country B. Country A has large population, but country B has small population of that species. John is pondering about how this species would fare in the future in these two countries. Would country A see higher or lower growth rate of the species than country B?
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Answer:
lower