Why does the amount of humidity in the air affect comfort moreso than the temperature?
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Humans remove extra heat from their bodies by sweating. Sweat is moisture expelled from the skin glands. When this moisture dries up (evaporates) it lowers the skin’s temperature, because evaporating requires heat energy which is thus removed from the body. In humid conditions sweat evaporation is slow because the air is already loaded with water vapor and does not take up moisture as easily as dry air does. Therefore sweating does not help very much in keeping the body temperature in the normal range, and we feel too hot, compared to the same outside temperature in dry conditions.
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