Some physics/spirituality mumbo-jumbo.

[CivCube]

According to basic physics, because the universe contains everything, energy is always conserved. It can be assumed that a person always has internal kinetic energy, due to all sorts of bodily functions, like blood, lungs, etc.

So a person ceases to have bodily functions, or in a word die. Most of this kinetic energy is lost, the remainder continuing in nerve jerks and whatnot. It must therefore be elsewhere, for energy is energy is energy.

However, if what I assume is correct, there is no gain of energy by anything else in the room. Nothing is converted to potential energy, for there is nothing that could use potential energy. Where, then, does the lost kinetic energy go? Are there any reports of total heat transfer to elsewhere? Or maybe it went...somewhere else....

 

[stormbind]

In body movements, Electricity is converted into Kinetic energy.

In a dead body, the cells storing that electricity release it into the environment. Perhaps as static, throughout the period of physical decay.

----

Where is physics does it say the universe contains everything?

Physics defines the shape of the universe as a trumpet, or doughnut, or whatever (depending on the mathematician).

If the universe has a defined shape, then there is something outside it - regardless of whether or not radiation can reach those points.

 

[polymath]

The Universe is me-shaped...at least as far as I'm concerned.

 

[stormbind]

Egotastic!

 

[CivCube]

I'm trying to find the total internal kinetic energy of a human in joules....I need some help.

 

[cgannon64]

Maybe I can bring this question up in this thread. I figured it doesn't deserve its own.

What's that thing about the body losing 21 grams immediately after death?

 

[CivCube]

http://snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp

The guy used fairly inconsistent procedures, so one should take that with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, energy doesn't need to have mass...

 

[stormbind]

CivCube, there are ways to measure the energy consumed/lost by a person over time. This is done with an enclosed (air tight) room where every detail of energy consumed/lost is measured.

You can calculate the amount of energy in food by burning it.

You can calculate the amount of energy in a dead person by burning them.

I'm fairly sure the statistics to go with these are published somewhere. They would be difficult to measure in a private investigation

I cannot think of other solutions but there doesn't mean there aren't any.

 

[CivCube]

You can calculate the amount of energy in a dead person by burning them.

Not exactly definitive, as the mass is also being converted to energy in the process. I'll keep looking for the instanteous energy of a person.

 

[stormbind]

Very interesting read, but that doesn't mean I believe it.

Has any other scientist tried to measure the weight of souls?

 

[stormbind]

Originally posted by CivCube
Not exactly definitive, as the mass is also being converted to energy in the process. I'll keep looking for the instanteous energy of a person.

Why can't you weigh them first and see if there is a discrepency in the predicted and actual values?

 

[CivCube]

Originally posted by stormbind
Why can't you weigh them first and see if there is a discrepency in the predicted and actual values?

Aye, good idea! That would be a tremendous help.

 

[Achinz]

The potential energy is the chemical energy stored in the body's biological chemicals and as heat.

On death, the heat is slowly dissipated to the ambient surroundings until the temperatures are in equilibrium.

The potential energy stored in the flesh (muscles) and body fluids is comsumed by the bacteria which gain it as nutrients which is why the body at room temperature decays and smells after a couple of days or so.

That's basically it.

 

[CivCube]

Originally posted by Achinz
The potential energy is the chemical energy stored in the body's biological chemicals and as heat.

On death, the heat is slowly dissipated to the ambient surroundings until the temperatures are in equilibrium.

The potential energy stored in the flesh (muscles) and body fluids is comsumed by the bacteria which gain it as nutrients which is why the body at room temperature decays and smells after a couple of days or so.

That's basically it.

But what happens to the kinetic energy?

 

[polymath]

It goes away when you stop moving.

 

[Achinz]

Originally posted by CivCube
But what happens to the kinetic energy?

The kinetic energy just comes from the potential chemical energy I mentioned.

I'll give a simple analogy. Think of an old fashioned clock which uses a wound up coil as the driving mechanism.

You expend your energy to wind this coil up; you are concerting your kinetic energy to the potential energy stored in the wound up, taut coil. In unwinding it drives the clock hands through a system of mechanical gears - your kinetic energy. If for some reason the clock stops (ie "dies") before the coil finishes unwinding, you no longer have kinetic energy because the hands don't move any more, but the potential energy remains in the coil. It's the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy that is stopped.

 

[CivCube]

Originally posted by Achinz
The kinetic energy just comes from the potential chemical energy I mentioned.

I'll give a simple analogy. Think of an old fashioned clock which uses a wound up coil as the driving mechanism.

You expend your energy to wind this coil up; you are concerting your kinetic energy to the potential energy stored in the wound up, taut coil. In unwinding it drives the clock hands through a system of mechanical gears - your kinetic energy. If for some reason the clock stops (ie "dies") before the coil finishes unwinding, you no longer have kinetic energy because the hands don't move any more, but the potential energy remains in the coil. It's the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy that is stopped.

I even posted that energy is energy in the first post! Never mind.

 

[stormbind]

Originally posted by CivCube
But what happens to the kinetic energy?

Converted into heat, sound or whatever. Much of it will be absorbed into surrounding tissue as kinetic energy.

One example of heat production is shivering.

 

[col]

Use H = McT to calculate the heat energy lost when you die.

m= mass of body in kg
c = specific heat capacity = 4200 J/kg/K if we assume mostly water
T = body temp - room temp.

 

[Gainy]

Don't you mean EH = CMT?, in which case it would be E = CMT/H

/ = Divided by

Edit: Before anyone replies, i've just realised i'm a tard. Ignore, and/or delete this post if ye want.