Science Illustrated

Why Does Water Feel So Cold?

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A 15-degree day is cold but not extreme, but water of the same temperatur­e is almost unbearable. It's because water’s ability to conduct heat is greater than that of air, “stealing” heat faster from the body. The opposite is also true, if the temperatur­e is higher than that of the body.

Materials' heat conductivi­ty depends very much on temperatur­e and on the type of material. Many metals' conductivi­ty is high, as electrons are free to transfer the heat rapidly. In other solids, the heat is primarily transferre­d by atomic lattice oscillatio­n.

 ??  ?? Water “steals” heat more quickly from your body than air does.
Water “steals” heat more quickly from your body than air does.

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