Evaporation of water from our skin is a very important mechanism for controlling

Question

Evaporation of water from our skin is a very important mechanism for controlling body temperature. (a) This is because (1) water has a high specific heat, (2) water has a high latent heat of vaporization, (3) water contains more heat when hot, (4) water is a good heat conductor. (b) In a 3.5-h intense cycling race, a cyclist loses 7.0 kg of water through perspiration. Estimate how much heat the cyclist loses in the process.

The textbook indicates that 1.6 x 10^6 is the correct answer. However, I cannot figure out how to arrive at this answer.

Explanation / Answer

a)

water has a high latent heat of vaporization,

b)

Assume all of the water evaporates

heat of vaporization of water is about 2260 J /g

7.0 kg (1000 g/kg)(2260 J/g) = 1.58* (10^6)J

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