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Category: fun
Posted on: December 3, 2007 4:17 PM, by William M. Connolley
Cute power density factoid, which I owe to Eric Chaisson: humans have far higher power densities than stars.
The solar luminosity is about 4.10^27 W, the mass is about 2.10^30 kg; so the power density is 2.10^-3 W/kg.
Human use ~2800 kcal/day ~ 120 W. Mass is ~80 kg, so 1.5 W/kg.
Isn't that fun?
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Comments
So this means ... If we were the size of the sun we'd get *really* hot. And we'd have to eat a *lot*.
Thanks for that.
Posted by: Mark Hadfield | December 3, 2007 5:21 PM
Our actual output of energy is rather low, unfortunately.
Posted by: uBeR | December 4, 2007 5:31 PM
Have you tried that calculation with a B class star? Or a couch potato?
Posted by: Lab Lemming | December 15, 2007 2:12 AM