Estimate body surface area from height and weight using four established equations and compare their results.
Body surface area (BSA) is an estimated exterior surface measurement expressed in square meters. Clinical contexts sometimes use BSA to normalize physiological measurements or inform protocols, but formula choice and professional judgment matter.
This calculator compares estimates only. It does not calculate medication doses, recommend treatment, or imply that BSA alone determines any clinical decision.
A commonly used simple calculation, not a universally superior method.
BSA = √((height cm × weight kg) ÷ 3600)BSA = 0.007184 × height^0.725 × weight^0.425BSA = 0.024265 × height^0.3964 × weight^0.5378BSA = 0.0235 × height^0.42246 × weight^0.51456At 180 cm and 75 kg, Mosteller gives √((180 × 75) ÷ 3600) = √3.75 = approximately 1.9365 m², displayed as 1.937 m². The calculator evaluates the other three equations at full precision and averages all four estimates.
Different constants and exponents produce slightly different estimates from the same measurements.
Clinical protocols may specify a particular equation; an average is only a comparison summary.
Medication and treatment decisions require qualified clinical judgment and protocol-specific adjustments.
The equations were developed from different samples and mathematical fits. Differences may become more meaningful at body-size extremes.
BSA estimates surface area in m² using height and weight. BMI is weight divided by height squared and is interpreted using a different scale; the two measures are not interchangeable.
BSA appears in some clinical normalization and dosing contexts, but practice may require a named formula, caps, organ-function assessment, body-composition considerations, or other adjustments. The calculator does none of those things.
It is an estimate of the body's external surface expressed in square meters.
No formula is universally superior. Appropriate use depends on population and context.
They use different mathematical forms, constants, and underlying datasets.
No. This calculator deliberately provides no dosing calculation or recommendation.
Some equations have been studied across ages, but pediatric clinical decisions require qualified professionals and protocol-specific guidance.
No. They use height and weight differently, have different units, and serve different purposes.
It summarizes the four estimates for comparison; it is not a clinical standard or preferred formula.
Original publications and formula context.