If it costs a person 100 kcals to run a mile, how far would she have to swim to expend the same amount of energy?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the question: if running 1 mile costs 100 kcals, how far must one swim to expend the same amount of energy?
Option by option analysis:
- 1/2 mile: This would imply expending energy roughly proportional to distance. Since running 1 mile costs 100 kcals, swimming typically burns more energy per mile than running, not less. If swimming were less energy-dense, 1/2 mile might be plausible, but in most athletic contexts swimming uses more energy per unit distance, so 1/2 mile would likely exceed 100 kcals, making this option unlikely.
- 4 miles: To burn the same 100 kcals by swimming would require a much shorter distance, not a much longer one, given swimming is generally more energy-intensive per mile than running. Therefore 4 miles would far overestimate the required distance.
- 1 mile: This would imply the swimmer expends about the same 100 kcals per mile as the runner, which is inconsistent with typical energy costs of swimming being higher per mile than running. Hence this option is not a good match.
- 1/4 mile: This is the distance that aligns with the idea that swimming has a higher energy cost per mile; to achieve only 100 kcals, a shorter distance like a quarter mile would suffice. In many energy-expenditure comparisons, swimming indeed requires more calories per mile than running, so a smaller distance is needed to reach the same energy expenditure.
In summary, because swimming generally burns more calories per mile than running, the distance needed to expend 100 kcals by swimming should be less than 1 mile. Among the provided choices, 1/4 mile best fits this reasoning, while the others imply either too much or too little energy expended for a mile-long swim.

If it costs a person 100 kcals to run a mile, how far would she have to swim to expend the same amount of energy?

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