Physics for Medicine and Biology: Determining Body Fat Content

ORAL

Abstract

Hydrostatic weighing is a technique for determining body fat content that is based on Archimedes principle and varied applications of the ideal gas law. We use this procedure as an example of the types of physics material which should be presented in an introductory course for students that are interested in careers in biology and medicine.

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Authors

  • Ronald Aaron

    Northeastern University, Northeastern University, Dept of Physics

  • Albert Altman

    UMass Lowell, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Dept of Physics and Applied Physics