why does a steel pan or surface feel colder than wood while being in the same room?
In: Physics
* Your sense of temperature isn’t based on the actual temperature of the things you touch.
* Instead it’s based on whether heat is transferring in or out of your skin.
* Metal conducts heat better than wood, so it feels “cooler” to you because it’s transferring more heat.
Both are, for instance, 20 degrees C.
Your body however is around 37 degrees C.. a difference of 17 degrees. Now that difference makes stuff feel cool to the touch, because warmth from your body is transferred to that object.
However some objects are made of fluffy, soft or porous materials that don’t transfer heat very well.. like cloth, wood etc., and they will almost act as ‘insulation’, making it difficult for heat to go from your hand to that object. On the other hand, some objects are really good at transferring heat, like glass or metals, and those will ‘feel’ cold, because you’re losing your own heat to it.
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Metal is a better heat conductor then wood so it dissipates the heat better. Its actually robbing the heat from your finger hence why it feels cold.
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