What is the Time of Death Based on Newton's Law of Cooling?

In summary, a man was found murdered with a body temperature of 88 degrees at 4:30AM. Two hours later, his body temperature was taken again and found to be 85.8 degrees. The room's climate control was set to 76 degrees. To determine the time of death, the standard body temperature of 98.6 degrees and the equation T = (T0-Tm)e^(-kt) + Tm are used. T0, the initial body temperature, is 98.6 degrees and Tm, the temperature of the surrounding medium, is 76 degrees. The lesson missed was on using logs/natural logs to solve for t.
  • #1
blueparukia
26
0

Homework Statement


A man was murdered and inspectors found his body temperature to be 88 degrees at 4:30AM.
Climate control in the room was set to 76 degrees.

Temperature of his body was taken again 2 hours later and found to be 85.8 degrees.

The standard body temperature for human beings is 98.6 degrees.

Need to find the time at which the man was killed (so when his temperature was 98.6)


Homework Equations



T = (T0-Tm)e^(-kt) + Tm

Where T0 = Initial temperature of the body (failry sure this is 98.6 degrees)
and Tm = Temperature of the surrounding medium (76 deg
rees)


I missed the lesson and this is catchup work and I'm having trouble grasping how to use logs/natural logs to solve for t.

Thank you very much.
 
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  • #3
Wow, pretty specific example there.

Thanks.
 

What is Newton's Law of Cooling?

Newton's Law of Cooling is a mathematical formula that describes how the temperature of an object changes over time as it is exposed to a cooler or warmer surrounding environment.

What are the components of Newton's Law of Cooling?

The components of Newton's Law of Cooling include the initial temperature of the object, the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment, the time elapsed, and a constant value known as the cooling rate.

How is Newton's Law of Cooling used in real life?

Newton's Law of Cooling has many practical applications, such as predicting the cooling rate of hot beverages, determining the time of death in forensic science, and designing cooling systems for electronics.

What are the assumptions made in Newton's Law of Cooling?

The assumptions made in Newton's Law of Cooling include a constant ambient temperature, a constant cooling rate, and a homogeneous object with a uniform initial temperature.

Can Newton's Law of Cooling be applied to objects with varying shapes and sizes?

Yes, Newton's Law of Cooling can be applied to objects with varying shapes and sizes as long as the assumptions are met and the cooling rate is adjusted accordingly to account for the object's surface area-to-volume ratio.

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