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I'm talking about measuring the weight of a living person's head without harming the person.

2007-02-24 10:14:51 · 6 answers · asked by curious george 2 in Science & Mathematics Biology

6 answers

All right, this is an interesting question, what's an easy way to accurately measure the weight of anyone's head without severing it. We can use an extended version of Archimedes's principle. Use a tank of water, and dunk the subject person in it. We make 2 kinds of measurements, at 2 different points. The first time of measurement is where the subject is up to his neck in water, the 2nd time of measurement is when the subject is completely submerged. Both times, we notice 1) the displaced volume of water, and 2) the weight of the person. Let V1 be the first measured displaced volume of water, V2 be the 2nd measured displaced volume of water. Let W1 be the first measured weight, and W2 be the 2nd measured weight. Let Dw be the density of water, Db be the density of body minus head, and Dh be the density of the head. Then we have the following equations:

V1 * Db - V1 * Dw = W1
V1 * Db + (V2 - V1) * Dh - V2 * Dw = W2

After some mathematical derring-do, we end up with the neat equation:

(V2 - V1) * Dh = W2 - W1 + (V2 - V1) * Dh = weight of head

or the difference in the 2 weight measurements plus the weight of the water of displaced volume equal to the head. If W2 = W1 = 0, then the density of the head is the same as water. But the head is usually denser than water, which is why it's good to have accurate W2 and W1 measurements.

2007-02-24 11:15:17 · answer #1 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 1 0

Hat length isn't extreme as a sweater is. A tall overweight female would have an similar length head to a short narrow female. it really is why hat sorts are sized for toddlers,toddlers,adolescents and adult men no longer in graduated sizes as yet another garment would nicely be. Knit your gauge as in line with practise on the patterm. in the journey that your sq. is larger than it is going to probable be use finer needles and if smaller than it is going to probable be use more suitable needles. For a hat notwithstanding gauge isn't too significant.

2016-12-04 21:49:57 · answer #2 · answered by lemmer 4 · 0 0

I think lying them down with their head on a scale (and tell them to relaxt their neck muscles) would give a good approximation.

As a way of verifying the measurement, you could have them lie down on a scale, so their entire body weight is on the scale, and then support their heads (with muscles relaxed), and subtract the difference.

2007-02-24 10:25:32 · answer #3 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 0 0

Remember the kid from "Jerry Maguire" when he's in the car when he says "Did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds". I don't know how they know, maybe they cut off heads of people who died and donated their bodies to science and took the average weight.

2007-02-24 11:34:05 · answer #4 · answered by mitsugirl 4 · 0 0

have them lay down and rest their head on a scale.

2007-02-24 10:22:59 · answer #5 · answered by dave 2 · 0 0

hmm well idk but on meet the fockers they said everyones head wieghs 8 pounds

2007-02-24 10:18:31 · answer #6 · answered by luhb u much!! 4 · 0 0

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