What is the metabolic rate (expressed in kJ/day) required by a person of surface area 1.5 m² and wearing clothing (with the thermal conductivity of felt) of thickness = 1 cm, to maintain a body temperature of 37°C, when the air temperature is 0°C?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The metabolic rate required can be calculated using the formula for heat transfer through clothing, Q = kA(T_body - T_air)/d, where Q is the heat transfer rate (W), k is the thermal conductivity of the material (W/m·K), A is the surface area (m^2), T_body and T_air are the body and air temperatures (°C), respectively, and d is the thickness of the clothing (m). Given the thermal conductivity of felt is approximately 0.04 W/m·K, A = 1.5 m^2, T_body = 37°C, T_air = 0°C, and d = 0.01 m, substituting these values gives a Q of approximately 222 W. To convert this to kJ/day, multiply by 86.4 (the number of seconds in a day divided by 1000 to convert from Joules to Kilojoules), resulting in approximately 19180 kJ/day.

What Is the Metabolic Rate (Expressed in KJ/day) Required by a Person