why is hot air suffocating and cold air refreshing?
In: Biology
Cold air is denser, more compact I suppose. So every breath contains more oxygen and nitrogen verses hot air which is much less dense.
Same reason they put an intercooler on a turboed engine.
Actually explained to a 5 year old: hot air is thinner, cold air is thicker. So when you breathe in cold air, you’re getting more air.
More complex: it stems from the general rule that heated up molecules move faster and separate from each other. So warm oxygen atoms are more spread apart, so a breath in pulls in less oxygen.
Our body runs at an optimal temperature that it tries its best to REGULATE. Breathing plays a huge part in cooling. When breathing in warm air you are getting oxygen but your not getting the cooling effect your body relies on.