the human body’s temperature is typically in the upper 90s, then why does an 80-90 degree day feel so hot? Wouldn’t it feel cool to us relative to our body temperature?
In: 0
Our bodies are constantly producing heat. In order to keep ourselves from overheating, we have to be able to *shed* some of the heat we produce to the outside world. This requires a temperature differential — the closer the air temperature is to the surface temperature of our skin, the less heat our body can pass off into the air surrounding us.
Now, different mediums can exchange heat better. Water is much better at absorbing heat from us than air is. On a scorcher of a day, pool will feel cool and refreshing even if the water is at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s because your body isn’t really reacting to the absolute temperature of its surroundings, it’s reacting to how much excess heat it’s transferring away.
Latest Answers