Question

The body loses roughly 1.4 degrees of body heat per hour post mortem (in the first 12 hours). If a body's temperature was 90.1 degrees, how long has the person been dead?

A. 6 hours
B. 8.5 hours
C. 24 hours
D. 3 hours

Answer 1

To find out how long a person has been dead, subtract the current temperature from the normal body temperature and divide by the rate of heat loss. The calculation suggests the person has been dead for approximately 6 hours. The correct answer is option: A. 6 hours

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how long a person has been dead based on their body temperature, one can use a simple mathematical calculation given the rate at which the body loses heat after death. The normal body temperature is assumed to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since the body loses heat at a rate of 1.4 degrees per hour, and the body's temperature was found to be 90.1 degrees, we subtract the current temperature from the normal body temperature and then divide the result by the rate of heat loss to find the time.

Using the formula:

• Initial body temperature (at time of death) = 98.6°F
• Body temperature at discovery = 90.1°F
• Heat loss rate = 1.4°F per hour

We calculate the time since death as follows:

Time = (98.6 - 90.1) / 1.4
Time = 8.5 / 1.4
Time = 6.07 hours (approximately)

Therefore, the closest answer to the time since the person has been dead is 6 hours (Option A).