Q10 Temperature Coefficient Calculator

Why cold-blooded animals slow down in cold weather

Q10 measures how much a biological reaction rate changes for every 10C rise in temperature - most enzyme-catalyzed reactions show a Q10 between 2 and 3, meaning rates roughly double or triple with each 10-degree increase.

Worked example

For a reaction rate of 1 unit at 10C rising to 4 units at 30C:

Q10 = (4/1)^(10/(30-10)) = Q10 = 2.0

This Q10 of 2.0 is right in the typical biological range, and it's exactly why ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals become sluggish in cold weather - their internal enzyme reaction rates, which directly drive metabolism and movement, slow down substantially as body temperature drops with the environment.