Chapter 17, Problem 17.104P

BIO Basal Metabolic Rate. The basal metabolic rate is the rate at which energy is produced in the body when a person is at rest. A 75-kg (165-lb) person of height 1.83 m (6 ft) has a body surface area of approximately 2.0 m². (a) What is the net amount of heat this person could radiate per second into a room at 18°C (about 65°F) if his skin’s surface temperature is 30°C? (At such temperatures, nearly all the heat is infrared radiation, for which the body’s emissivity is 1.0, regardless of the amount of pigment.) (b) Normally, 80% of the energy produced by metabolism goes into heat, while the rest goes into things like pumping blood and repairing cells. Also normally, a person at rest can get rid of this excess heat just through radiation. Use your answer to part (a) to find this person’s basal metabolic rate.