those gold/silver emergency blankets: do they really work, and how?

Question

those gold/silver emergency blankets: do they really work, and how?

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Answer 1

Those gold/silver emergency blankets, also known as space blankets (or so i’ve heard) are made of a thin, lightweight, and heat-reflective material typically made of plastic, such as polyester film, coated with a thin layer of metal, such as aluminium or gold.
The way they work is by reflecting back a person’s own body heat, as well as any radiant heat from the environment, back towards the person. This helps to trap and retain the heat around the person’s body, helping to keep them warm in cold conditions.
The reflective surface of the blanket also helps to prevent heat loss through radiation, which is a major cause of heat loss from the body in cold and windy conditions.