Chapter 17, Problem 20P

A resting adult of average size converts chemical energy in food into internal energy at the rate 120 W, called her basal metabolic rate. To stay at constant temperature, the body must put out energy at the same rate. Several processes exhaust energy from your body. Usually, the most important is thermal conduction into the air in contact with your exposed skin. If you are not wearing a hat, a convection current of warm air rises vertically from your head like a plume from a smokestack. Your body also loses energy by electromagnetic radiation, by your exhaling warm air, and by evaporation of perspiration. In this problem, consider still another pathway for energy loss: moisture in exhaled breath. Suppose you breathe out 22.0 breaths per minute, each with a volume of 0.600 L. Assume that you inhale dry air and exhale air at 37°C containing water vapor with a vapor pressure of 3.20 kPa. The vapor came from evaporation of liquid water in your body. Model the water vapor as an ideal gas. Assume that its latent heat of evaporation at 37°C is the same as its heat of vaporization at 100°C. Calculate the rate at which you lose energy by exhaling humid air.