Is it true that after death the human body weights more?

No.

It weighs less. ;)
Well, if you believe Dr. Duncan MacDougall.

The body might bloat as a part of the decaying process, which might give the perception of weight gain…..

Here is a reference for asmonet’s post above ^^^^^ about the theory of weight loss w/ death…..

The subject is pretty exhaustively covered by Mary Roach in her book “Spook”. The practice of weighing bodies at the moment of death was an attempt to prove a physical soul. The theory has been completely debunked.

@syz: I don’t think what I’m referring to is the Roach study. This was years before Roach.

I read long ago about a scientific (?) study done that exactly measured the weight of a terminally ill person. Right down to a fraction of an ounce. They claimed, at the time of death, the person (body) weighed a measurable amount less. As I remember it was something less then an ounce. This weight loss occured at the time of death.

Begging the question: Does the soul have weight?

I think it goes with the saying “dead weight” When someone dies they get stiff…which makes them harder to move, probably making them seem heavier

Quoting Cardinal: Begging the question: Does the soul have weight?

When I read this question, I wondered if that would come up.

@Cardinal: See the reference Snoopy linked in response to my post.

it’s what johnny said. Even though the body weighs marginally less (it’s not the soul, it’s just exhaled air or something), it is harder to carry, therefore perceived as heavier.

@asmonet Will do. Did. Thanks. Interesting stuff.

I wouldn’t think so.

@Cardinal There is no Roach study, she is the author of a book in which, among other things, she discusses MacDougall’s experiments.

okay everyone thanks for answering my question. I too have heard about the presumed “weight” of the human soul (and according to this hypothesis the body would actually weight less after death) but i asked this question because some of my friends came up with a new theory that said the body would actually weight more. As a conclusion i will stick to the principle of the conservation of masses in the future.

Thanks again everyone.