Why can we touch cold things but not hot?

Question

I mean we can touch snow, but we can`t touch a hot stove...y is that?
wat do u think?
(not immature answers plez)

Pleaz no immature answers...thanx

thks 4 the great answers guyz! I can`t decide who to pick 4 the 10pts.!

Answer 1

Snow is a poor heat conductor, therefore the mass of snow takes time to absorb the heat from your hand and it doesn't feel that cold upfront.

A stove is made of metal which is a very good heat conductor. When you touch a hot stove with your hands, you are absorbing the heat from ALL the mass of metal that makes the stove, it's instantly hot.

That's why certain cold things can be touched but certain hot things cannot.

That said. If you would dip your fingers in liquid nitrogen, for example, they would instantly deep freeze in a second and shatter. This is because there is more conduction of heat due to the liquid form and also because it's much colder than snow.

If you would touch Dry Ice ( CO2 Snow ) with your hands you would get frostbite. That's because Dry Ice is more compact than snow and is colder.

Here's an experiment: Makes a lose snowball by simply putting snow together but don't compact the snow. Now make another snowball but compact the snow as much as you can.

Now take each snowball in one of your hands, the more compact snowball will feel much colder than the noncompact one. That's because compact snowball conducts heat more effectively.

P.S. Poor heat conductivity is also why some people can walk on braise rocks without getting burned, that's because altough the rocks are very hot, the bulk of the heat is poorly conducted to the feet and don't have the time to burn them.

There, I hope this helps.

Answer 2

This has a lot to do with the freezing point of water. Snow (and ice for that matter) can only be so cold, because of their chemical properties. Likewise, boiling water can only be 100 degrees hot before it evaporates. However, because of modern technology we can make things much hotter than this. Metals can get to be quite hot, and things like stoves and burners can easily reach over 400 degrees farenheit. Anything this cold would also severely burn you, just things this cold aren't commonly found, except for chemists. Stuff like, liquid nitrogen or liquid oxygen. These have to be really cold to exist in this state, and it'll burn you just as much as fire would.

Answer 3

I agree with the answerer that said that there are some cold things that we can't touch,... but there is more to it.

Our skin produces a thin layer of oil that protects it from the cold for a short time. It doesn't work so well with hot things because hot oil burns skin.

I saw a worker dip his hand into liquid nitrogen (very quickly) and his hand was fine. He explained about the oil. As long as it is not long enough to freeze the oil, the hand is fine.

Answer 4

well, some cold things shouldn't be touched, like dry ice.
That does the same as a hot stove. And people get frostbite from too much cold.
So I guess my answer is that cold can be equally as dangerous as heat. You can touch a hot mug of coffee, just like you can touch snow.

Answer 5

Well, a hot stove is a lot hotter than snow is cold. If you touch something cold enough it'll burn you too.

Answer 6

The after affect of touching cold is palatable but not hot.

Answer 7

You can't touch Dry Ice can you.

Answer 8

There ARE things which are so cold they're harmful, we just don't encounter them often in everyday life.

Answer 9

it's just a reaction 4rm the brain

Answer 10

Well get burned. duhhh