Your car has been setting out in the hot summer sun all day. The metal hood, the glass windshield, and the fabric upholstry are all at 180 degrees farenheit. If you touch the hood with your hand it could be burned, if you touch the windshield it will be very hot, if you touch the seat it will be very warm. Why is there a difference in how the different objects feel if they are all the same temperature?
3 answers
because they are all made of different materials therefore they will each retain heat more or less.
The nerves in our skin do not sense temperature, they sense heat flow. If heat flow is great, we sense it as hot. If heat flow is outward, we sense it as cold.
The seat has stored little heat, so touching it wont get much heat flow. The windshield actually has stored more heat than the hood, but because it is a very poorconductor not much heat will flow to the skin nerves. Now the hood, is a moderate store of heat, but a great conductor, so heat flows, skin says "very hot".
The seat has stored little heat, so touching it wont get much heat flow. The windshield actually has stored more heat than the hood, but because it is a very poorconductor not much heat will flow to the skin nerves. Now the hood, is a moderate store of heat, but a great conductor, so heat flows, skin says "very hot".
Hannah, please do not impersonate teachers. Thanks
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