Final answer:
The heart does approximately 3 billion Joules of work in a lifetime, calculated by multiplying 1 Joule/workbeat by an estimated 3 billion heartbeats over 75 years. Using this energy to lift an average person weighing 70 kg could raise them to a height of approximately 4,285,714 meters, under the assumption that there are no losses and gravity is constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
To estimate the work done by the heart in pumping blood during a lifetime, we need to multiply the work per heartbeat by the number of heartbeats in a lifetime. Assuming an average rate of contraction is 75 per minute, the number of beats per day is 108,000. Over a 75-year lifespan, this would result in nearly 3 billion heartbeats. The estimated work done by the heart in a lifetime (a) is:
1 J/beat × 3 billion beats = 3 billion Joules
To assess the height an average person could be lifted using all this work (b), we must apply the work-energy principle. Given that work (W) is equal to the force (F) times the distance (h), we can use the gravitational force (weight) of an average person for F. This force equals the mass (m) times gravity (g), which is approximately 9.8 m/s2. Assuming an average mass of an adult is 70 kg, the calculation is as follows:
W = m × g × h
3 billion J = 70 kg × 9.8 m/s2 × h
Solving for height (h), we get:
h = 3 billion J / (70 kg × 9.8 m/s2)
h ≈ 4,285,714.29 m
Therefore, the work done by the heart over a lifetime could potentially lift an average person to a height of approximately 4,285,714 meters. This is an idealization and does not consider any losses due to friction or changes in elevation.