Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi there,

My son is in 6th and picked the following topic for his Science Fair, "How much energy does the human body have?".
I'm wondering if there are any viable ways to conduct this experiment from home or if we would have to purchase a bunch of equipment and/or use a lab?

I would greatly appreciate any advice you may have. We have to turn in his final topic by tomorrow and I am concerned that this is not a realistic topic to undertake, even though it is my son's preference.

Thank you!

Kash Khalsa

Hi guruprahash,

Thanks for asking! This certainly sounds like a cool idea for a project.

There are a few approaches you can take with this. But first, you have to decide how you define energy.

The brain communicates using electric signals, and the total activity potential is approximated to be around 0.085 Watts.
On the other hand, a lot of energy is produced as heat and largely depends on metabolism and how much you eat. One calorie is equal to 4184 joules, so you can take this information and then calculate how much you'd produce based on eating habits.

Hope this helps!

Peter S.