Why does water of 30°c feel cold but air of 30°c feel hot?

Question

I would assume it has something to do with body hair. If so, does it change anything for more hairy or less hairy humans?

In: Biology

Answer 1

You don’t feel temperature, you feel whether a body part is gaining or losing heat. Cold = losing heat, hot = gaining heat.

Water has a much higher specific heat capacity than air so heat dissipates through it much faster than through air, so in water you lose more heat than in air if the air/water is at a lower temperature than you.