A man's body was found lying in the stream at the back of a factory property. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. His body temperature was determined to be 69.1°F, while the ambient air temperature was 80°F. The estimated amount of time since death was calculated to be about 20 hours. However, the actual time of death was later determined to be 13 hours before the body was discovered.

Create a claim that states what could have accounted for the difference in the estimated and actual time of death. Use appropriate evidence and scientific reasoning to support your claim.

The difference in the estimated time of death and the actual time of death can be attributed to postmortem cooling, which causes the body's temperature to decrease after death.

Explanation:

The difference in the estimated time since death and the actual time of death could be accounted for by the phenomenon known as postmortem cooling. After death, the body's temperature will start to decrease, approaching the ambient air temperature. In this case, the man's body temperature was determined to be 69.1°F, which is lower than the ambient air temperature of 80°F. The rate at which the body cools depends on various factors such as body mass, clothing, and environmental conditions.

To further support this claim, research shows that the rate of heat loss from a corpse is influenced by the body's surface area, clothing, and initial body temperature. The body loses heat through conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. All these factors contribute to the gradual decrease in body temperature after death, resulting in a lower temperature than the estimated time since death.

In conclusion, the difference between the estimated time since death and the actual time of death can be attributed to postmortem cooling, which causes the body's temperature to decrease over time.