Can objects get colder than the ambient temperature around them?

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Say you store a vehicle outside all winter, if there was an usually cold week, say -20 degrees Fahrenheit for example, is it possible for the car to be colder than the -20 since it sat weeks prior to the -20 temps?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Thermodynamics can basically be summed up as “heat moves from things at higher temperatures to things at lower temperatures”, with the logical conclusion that generally objects will reach thermal equilibrium at the same temperature if nothing else is actively moving heat around.

In the specific case of an object outside, it is possible to be below the air temperature because as well as conduction, things lose heat by radiation. A clear sky radiates very little heat (because you’re effectively looking out into space which is very cold) so things facing the sky can radiate away their heat into the sky and become colder than the surrounding air.

[This video](https://youtu.be/N3bJnKmeNJY) shows a special paint that radiates heat effectively to let an object become cooler than the surrounding air if it’s under a clear sky.

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