The Fart Bomb Myth: Why This Viral Claim Doesn't Hold Up

You've probably seen this "fun fact" floating around the internet: fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, and you'll produce enough gas to match the energy of an atomic bomb. It sounds delightfully absurd, which is probably why it went viral. There's just one problem: it's completely false.

The Numbers Don't Add Up

Let's start with what we actually know about farts. The average human passes gas 10-20 times per day, releasing about 90ml per emission. That gas is roughly 59% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, and 7% methane. Only that hydrogen and methane are combustible—and here's where the math falls apart.

Scientists have calculated that the average fart contains approximately 0.11 watt-hours of potential energy. That's based on hydrogen's energy density of 2.8 watt-hours per liter and methane's 10.5 watt-hours per liter. Even if you farted continuously for 6 years and 9 months (which would be both impressive and concerning), you'd be nowhere close to atomic bomb territory.

Atomic Bombs Work Differently

Here's the fundamental flaw in this claim: it compares apples to nuclear oranges. The Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima released approximately 63 terajoules of energy—that's 6.3 × 10¹³ joules. That energy came from nuclear fission, not chemical combustion.

Even if you could somehow collect and perfectly combust all the methane and hydrogen from years of flatulence, you're dealing with chemical bonds breaking, not atoms splitting. The energy scales aren't even in the same universe. It's like comparing a firecracker to a volcanic eruption.

Where Did This Myth Come From?

This factoid appears to have originated from viral social media posts and "weird facts" compilations. In 2013, the popular science account AsapSCIENCE tweeted it, which gave it an air of legitimacy. But when chemistry experts actually ran the numbers, they confirmed what should have been obvious: definitely not true.

The claim relies on vague phrases like "create the energy of" rather than specific calculations. It's designed to sound scientific while avoiding the actual science that would expose it as nonsense.

The Real (Less Exciting) Truth

Could you theoretically use fart gas as fuel? Sure, in microscopic amounts. Researchers have explored using methane from livestock manure for biogas energy production. Some people have even joked about "fart-powered homes." But the reality is underwhelming: one person's daily flatulence contains maybe enough energy to power an LED bulb for a few minutes.

The atomic bomb comparison is just clickbait masquerading as science. It's a reminder that if a "fact" sounds too bizarre to be true, it probably is—especially if it involves bodily functions and weapons of mass destruction.