In a thermodynamic class I took in 1989, the professor was talking about the transfer of heat and someone asked this question. The prof. didn’t attempt to explain it because it was off topic from the lecture, but he did say the answer had a more complex biological reason, and not that the floor was actually colder.
In: Biology
Thermal conductivity, and thermal mass. How quickly does the point of contact spread heat to the rest of the mass, and how much energy does the rest of that mass take to reach equilibrium with your body temperature?
Tile at a given temperature will transfer heat faster than carpet or wood. This works in both directions, if the tile is warmer than body temperature it will feel hotter than wood or carpet the same temperature.
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