Tuesday, July 29, 2008

How much are you worth?

The value of an ounce of gold, if all of its mass were converted to energy (E=mc^2) in the form of electricity (with 100% efficiency), and then sold at market rates (~5cents/kWh = $1/72e6J), would be:

1 oz. * (1kg/36oz.) * (9e16J/1kg) * ($1/72e6J) = $35 million

The value of a 170-lb. person would be:
170lb * (1kg/2.2lb.) * (9e16J/1kg) * ($1/72e6J) = ~$100 billion

Point: you get a lot of energy from a little mass.