Which term is illustrated by the necessity to burn gasoline for energy in a snowmobile?

The situation described, where gasoline is burned for energy in a snowmobile, is best illustrated by the concept of active transport. Active transport refers to the movement of substances across cellular membranes against their concentration gradient, which requires energy.

In the case of the snowmobile, the ignition of gasoline involves a chemical reaction that converts the stored energy in gasoline into kinetic energy, allowing the snowmobile to operate. This process can be analogously understood in biological systems, where energy is required to move substances, such as ions or nutrients, into cells against their natural flow.

The burning of gasoline parallels the way cells utilize energy to transport molecules where it is needed, demonstrating active processes that depend on the consumption of energy. The other terms listed, such as diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and passive transport, involve the movement of substances down their concentration gradients without the need for additional energy input, which does not relate to the energy-generating process of burning gasoline in a snowmobile.