Eli5 when temperature is just how much molecules move, why can our skin be permanently damaged if they move to much, aka, you get a burn.

Question

Eli5 when temperature is just how much molecules move, why can our skin be permanently damaged if they move to much, aka, you get a burn.

In: 131

Answer 1

Other answers are correct but I like to think of this in its simplest terms. Consider getting hit by a tennis ball at 10mph, mildly inconvenient but not likely to do much damage. Now consider being hit by a tennis ball at 1000mph, there’s a good chance that’ll kill you.

Tennis balls are much bigger than molecules but the same principle applies. Higher temperature means higher speed molecules. Higher speed molecules means more damage caused on impact.