# Average dump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510 "2002-10-02T07:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/1 "2002-10-02T07:50:19Z")
. . What is the weight of the average adult human bowel movement? I’ve searched and searched and can’t find it anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/2 "2002-10-02T11:32:35Z")
> [@](#): > > The total weight of the stool in a healthy adult male on a normal diet will be 100 to 200 gm. daily. Of this, 65% will be water and the remainder dry matter. Source: _Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary_ ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/3 "2002-10-02T14:16:03Z")
No way. 200 gm’s? That’s nothing. I could swear that I’m putting out a lot more than that… maybe 2000 gms… ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/4 "2002-10-02T16:00:19Z")
bibliophage, Can I ask, under what listing did you find that? > [@](#): > > Source: Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary Thanks ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/5 "2002-10-02T16:35:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Of this, 65% will be water and the remainder dry matter. What, like dust? I don’t think so. This seems like a strange way to address the moisture content. Not that it’s not true but it could be a bit confusing to some. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/6 "2002-10-02T16:43:14Z")
I presume that is a shorthand way of saying that 65% of the mass will be due to water, i.e. if you dry it out you will be left with only 35% of the mass. I must say I would expect it to be more than 100-200g, though. I guess there’s only one way to find out if you’re that keen to know, **Neptune**. Better dust off those kitchen scales… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/7 "2002-10-02T16:44:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SwimmingwithChickens \* > \*\*No way. 200 gm’s? That’s nothing. I could swear that I’m putting out a lot more than that… maybe 2000 gms… \*\* If I translate 2000g for the benefit of my American units, it’s a whopping 4.41 pounds. For example, that’s more than 17 sticks of butter, or an equal number of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder patties. An astonishing daily volume. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/8 "2002-10-02T16:55:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SwimmingwithChickens \* > \*\*No way. 200 gm’s? That’s nothing. I could swear that I’m putting out a lot more than that… maybe 2000 gms… \*\* If I translate 2000g for the benefit of my American units, it’s a whopping 4.41 pounds. For example, that’s more than 17 sticks of butter, or an equal number of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder patties. An astonishing daily volume. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/9 "2002-10-02T16:59:36Z")
Volume? Mass! ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/10 "2002-10-02T17:02:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Neptune. Better dust off those kitchen scales… I would, except that I wouldn’t consider myself to be average, nor particularily healthy. And for that matter I don’t have any kitchen scales. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/11 "2002-10-02T17:05:18Z")
17 sticks of butter? :eek: That sounds like a crock. ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/12 "2002-10-02T17:10:04Z")
I can see how the _average_ dump would seem to be on the low side because I think we tend to not give any credance to less than grunt causing dumps, but they have to be considered in the average. A person takes a 6.5 lb dump. (Nice!) But then later, has a little twinge and cops a squat and this little .5 job comes out. The person _thinks_ he’s taken a 6.5 pound crap for the day. But no, 6.5 + .5 / 2 = 3.5 lb dump. Most dissappointing. ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/13 "2002-10-02T17:11:14Z")
Taber’s reference has certainly provided an important fact, but Taber only covers males. What about females? Also, the original question referred to the average bowel movement, whereas Taber covers average daily total. If we knew the average number of bowel movements per day, then we could just divide. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/14 "2002-10-02T17:16:19Z")
Well speaking for myself, I very rarely have more than one a day, so I guess I account for my 200g in one go. That’s just under half a pound, fact fans 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/15 "2002-10-02T17:48:35Z")
If you want to see who sets the bell curve on dumps, [ratemypoo.com](http://ratemypoo.com). Warning: not for the meek. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/16 "2002-10-02T22:06:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neptune \* > **Taber only covers males. What about females?** Females don’t poop. ---
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/17 "2002-10-03T00:18:35Z")
65% may not be a far stretched figure. Common garden soil has around 65% moisture. This is because of the way moisture percentage is calculate. Suppose you take 15 g of wet soil, dry it for a day ( commonly 102° C) and suppose the resulting weight is 10 g. Then the weight percent of water is = (15-10)/10= 50% The trick is that the percentage is calculated on the dry basis not on the wet basis! ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/18 "2002-10-03T00:37:37Z")
So a sample of wet soil with a mass of 15g that has a dry mass of 5g has a moisture content of 200%? (15-5)/5=200% I have to call BS on this one. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/19 "2002-10-03T02:50:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by r\_k \* > \*\*Better dust off those kitchen scales… \*\* Don’t you mean HOSE them off? ---
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510/20 "2002-10-03T03:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ScoobyTX \* > \*\*So a sample of wet soil with a mass of 15g that has a dry mass of 5g has a moisture content of 200%? > > (15-5)/5=200% > > I have to call BS on this one. \*\* You can call it whatever you want Scooby, but, if you wanna know more - read - ASTM D 2216-90. Method for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil, Rock and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures. Read the section on WATER MOISTURE measurement [here](http://www.pcsd.k12.ny.us/projects/globe/tests.html) . Its pretty much what I described the procedure to be. Quote from that site - Divide the water weight by the \*\* dry soil weight \*\* then multiply by 100 to get the percentage of Soil Water Content. And for the 65% cite - read the Table 1 [here](http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/CROPS/04700.html) . From the cite - "Squeeze a handful of coarse soil firmly to make ball test. If it Appears dry, and will not form ball with pressure the \*\* moisture content is 50-75%\*\* [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-dump/130510.md?page=2)