Since darker colors absorbs more light, wouldn’t that mean that more energy is absorbed and therefore “create” more heat, compared to sunlight hitting a lighter color and reflect a higher percentage of the light/energy?
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Yes, darker skin can feel warmer in the sun. It’s because dark colors absorb more light and heat than lighter colors. So, if two people, one with darker skin and one with lighter skin, are in the sun, the person with darker skin might feel warmer. But, our bodies have ways to cool us down, like sweating.
Think about it this way, the darker the skin the more light the very outer skin will absorb. But that skin is basically already dead and will not be a problem if it’s DNA gets damaged. So the darker the outside layer the less radiation gets to the inner skin that is still in the process of replicating itself. If the radiation can not reach the cells that are making copies of themselves they have a much much lower chance of becoming damaged and cancerous.
So while the outside layer might feel warmer, it’s still a much better protection.
I for one don’t believe skin color affect perceived temperature.
Back in high school, it’s always the whitest kids that shows up to school wearing shorts during winter.
While darker skin might absord a bit more sublight, it is not the primary factor of how someone FEELS regarding warmth.
Imagine you have 2 people, put one in a very hot room , about 40C and one in a coldish 20C room. Then after 15 mins take them to a 30C room. The 40C person will be refreshed and feel chill while the 20C person will feel very hot.
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