Conservation of mass/episode of Brainiac

In summary, the mass of the girl decreased after she ate a quarter pound burger. There was no explanation given for this phenomenon. The accuracy of the scales was not determined, but it is possible that there was experimental error involved.
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Conservation of mass/episode of "Brainiac"

I saw an episode of Braniac recently... I believe it's an english show... the yankees might not know it... but anyway, on it, they conducted an experiment in which a girls mass (pounds) was taken, to four decimal places.. then she ate a Mcdonalds quarter pounder burger (which was also weighed, and had ketchup added to it to make it a quarter of a pound accurately). Immeadiately after this, she was weighed again, and the measurement was less than one quarter of a pound more than her previous mass... fascinating, but the so-called "brainiacs" offered no explanation for it... very dissapointing indeed.

so tell me... where does the mass go?
 
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  • #2
How much was the difference?
 
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Did they have a "control"? Someone else who didn't eat anything who was weighed twice? Did they try weighing this person every 10 minutes or so to determine how much weight change that person experienced over time?

You can loose weight through sweat, and I suspect just through breathing, burping and ... farting too! lol
 
  • #4
And giving off heat and doing work.
 
  • #5
How many times did the skinny girl throw up to keep herself thin after she ate the quarter pound?
 
  • #6
You can learn about as much science from Braniac as you can learn about nuclear reactors watching Homer Simpson at work. Its all about entertainment, not at all about science.
 
  • #7
(I think) it was an ounce off... no they had no control group... but does your mass really fluctuate that much within 10 mins? All she did was eat the burger & get straight back on the scales... I wouldn't imagine she did too much work/sweating/giving off heat between weighings... burping/farting maybe... I guess... but would that account for a whole ounce?
 
  • #8
How accurate were their scales? Because a great deal of it could be experimental error.
 
  • #9
Did she eat the packaging?

Carl
 
  • #10
Hell your skin coming off coudl result for parts of it, oil from touching things... all sorts of crap.
 

Related to Conservation of mass/episode of Brainiac

1. What is the conservation of mass?

The conservation of mass is a fundamental principle in science that states that the total mass of a closed system will remain constant over time. This means that mass cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed into different forms.

2. How does the conservation of mass relate to the Brainiac episode?

In the Brainiac episode, the concept of conservation of mass is demonstrated through various experiments and challenges. The show aims to illustrate this principle in a fun and entertaining way by showing how different objects can be transformed into new forms, but the total mass remains the same.

3. Can you give an example of the conservation of mass in action?

One example of the conservation of mass in action is when ice melts. The total mass of the ice and water combined remains the same, even though the physical form of the substance has changed. This is because the mass of the water molecules is the same as the mass of the ice molecules.

4. Why is the conservation of mass important in science?

The conservation of mass is important because it is a fundamental law of nature that helps us understand and predict the behavior of matter. It is used in various fields such as chemistry, physics, and engineering to explain and analyze chemical reactions, physical changes, and other phenomena.

5. Is the conservation of mass always true?

Yes, the conservation of mass is always true in a closed system where no mass is added or removed. However, in certain situations such as nuclear reactions or relativity, the conservation of mass may not hold true and must be modified to account for other factors.

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