Square-Cube Law & Metabolic Scaling
Surface ∝ L² · Volume ∝ L³ · S/V ∝ 1/L · Metabolic rate ∝ L
−0.25
(Kleiber)
Body Length
Length:
7
cm
Shrew 4cm
Mouse 7cm
Cat 50cm
Human 175cm
Elephant 420cm
Body Length
7 cm
Surface Area
294 cm²
Volume
343 cm³
S/V Ratio
0.857 cm⁻¹
Daily Food (% Body Weight)
~200%
Normal for this size
Heat Danger (S/V too low = can't shed heat)
Scaling Curves