Re: Mass/Energy Conservation

[MERVIN KOEHLINGER <physteach@PRODIGY.NET>]

In the simplest terms, all of the weight that we gain comes from the food
that we eat, and all of the weight that we lose leaves in the air that we
exhale. All of the other inputs and outputs are a wash.

Mervin Koehlinger
Physics Instructor
Concordia Lutheran High School
http://www.clhscadets.com
"Teaching and learning are not synonymous. Each requires maximum effort from
the practitioner."
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Rauber" <Joel_Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2000 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: Mass/Energy Conservation


> > I must be missing something here, but I thought we didn't engage in
> > photosynthesis!
> >
> > bc
> Short response: we engage in respiration in addition to digestion.
>
> Longer response: If one is going to argue against the proposition that you
> can gain two pounds, when you only ingested one pound of chocolate cake
you
> need to consider other mass inputs besides what goes down the esophagus.
> Without considering rather ridiculous ideas (like dust collecting in your
> hair), I came up with the idea that we breath and perhaps that respiration
> might involve a net gain in mass through respiration combined with
> digestion.  Which gets down to whether or not digesting your food might
> combine with some of the mass you input through the lungs with what you
> input in your stomach making for a net gain over and above the mass input
> going down the esophagus.
>
> Joel Rauber
> Joel_Rauber@sdstate.edu
> > Joel Rauber wrote:
> >
> > > > BTW, what's the point of Dave A.'s initial question anyway?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > David Bowman
> > > > David_Bowman@georgetowncollege.edu
> > >
> > > While I can't answer for Dave A. I can say that when I have asked
myself
> > > this question I was motivated by the oft heard statements along
> > the lines of
> > > " I ate a pound of chocolate cake and gained two pounds".  So I
> > asked myself
> > > the question, is it possible gain more weight than the weight
> > of the food
> > > you ingest through the mouth that goes down the gullet to your
stomach?
> > cut
> >
> > > Joel Rauber
> > > Joel_Rauber@sdstate.edu