Re: Order of magnitude estimation

["Richard W. Tarara" <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

There is a major problem in the first calculation--namely that the caloric
intake is about 3000 Calories (capital 'C')--that is 3000 kcal.  Your
estimation is off by a factor of 1000.

Rick
----------
> From: msantos@etse.urv.es
>
> Hi all,
>
> Recently, I read a really amusing order of magnitude
> estimation. It was in a so called "guidance-text" for
> freshman at the U.Barcelona written by Rolf Tarrach.
> Let's see how it goes:
>
> "A man/woman consumes about 3000cal a day. This makes
>
>                 3000cal 4.184J/cal 1day/86400s = 150 W
> That is, one person consumes like a bulb light; ten, like
> heater. Bye the way, currently  1 KWh costs about 8$. So,
> the dayly energy ingest of a person costs less than 30$.
> Why is then meal so expensive?" 
>
>
> Regards,
> Miguel Angel.