The duster can I use always gets really cold whenever I use it for long enough. Can someone explain in the simplest way possible the reason why it gets cold?
In: 49
Heat on the atomic scale is atoms moving around. The faster they move around, the hotter they are. When something hot is sitting buy itself it’s kind of like a [newton’s cradle](https://78.media.tumblr.com/09d9c6e81fb491101b642fe068a80775/tumblr_nz9eg301um1qdewlro1_500.gif). Atoms like the balls are transferring their momentum to each other as they move about. When it reaches the edge of the object it’s atomic bonds swing it back in like the strings holding the balls on the newton’s cradle.
Now what would happen if you took some scissors and cut the string just as the edge ball of the newton’s cradle swings out? It’ll take it’s momentum and continue flying off instead of bringing that momentum back to retransfer it’s energy to the rest of the balls. This leaves the remaining balls relatively still compared to when they were swaying back and forth.
That’s what happens when air leaves the spray can. It’s also what happens when sweat leaves your skin, or when condensed coolant is uncompressed inside your air conditioner. It leaves the atoms that remain cooler than before.
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