Dear Atmospheric Chemist...Troy: What is a British Thermal Unit (BTU)?
Adam the Chemist: Since you didn't look anything up, I'll try this without references. A British thermal unit is a measure of energy, like joules and calories. I think it's defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temp of a pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. The definition of the calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celcius, so 1 BTU is considerably more than 1 calorie. However, the calories you're probably most familiar with (what's mentioned on the back of cereal boxes, in diet books, etc.) are really KILOcalories--so they're the amount of heat required to raise the temp of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celcius. Troy: How would I measure the amount of BTUs Kim emits during the night?
Adam the Chemist: To measure Kim's nightly BTU output: 1. Construct a water-tight, very well insulated capsule large enough for Kim and several hundred pounds of water (remember, 1 gallon H2O=8 pounds). 2. Record the initial temperature of the water in the vessel. 3. Place Kim in the water. Allow her to remain overnight. Under no circumstances can you allow any heat to escape from the water. Heat transfer from Kim to the water is acceptable, nay, essential for the measurement. 4. Measure the temperature of the water in the morning. The temperature difference (in degrees Fahrenheit) between the initial and final temperatures, times the number of pounds of water in the vessel would equal the number of BTU's Kim gives off in a night. NOTE: Ideally, Kim's entire body would be submerged during the course of this experiment. In practice, this may prove impracticle, or perhaps dangerous for both Kim and the conductor of the experiment. Troy & Kim would like to thank Adam and all of the Chemists at Purdue University for their excellence in Science. Results of this experiment will be published in Spring 2005.
8:33:05 PM  permanent link Google It!
|
