Why can you not touch metal objects with bare hands at -40 degrees?

Question

please answer in terms of atoms or particles

Answer 1

well living in a country where we get -40 every winter I can tell you from experience that you absolutely CAN touch metal objects with your bare hands. My fence is metal and I often open it with my bare hands every day.

I think what you are talking about is that if your hands are damp or sweaty the water on your skin will freeze almost instantly upon contact with the cold metal. I have had this happen many times. Then when you move your hand it feels like you skin is glued to the metal, it is actually kinda of neat. Your hands will come free easily when you pull them a bit harder.

Now growing up here we have all had one of our friends stick their tongue on a metal pipe in the winter. It gets stuck and the only way to get it off is to rip the skin, or pour hot water on the pipe. guess what usually happens. heh, usually take the tongue a couple of weeks to get back to normal.

So in summary, you can do it,

In terms of atoms and particles.. ummm well it all has to do with heat transfer. moisture coming in contact with metal will have all the heat "sucked" out of it quickly and that will cause it to freeze. The water is a good conductor of heat. your skin is not as good a conductor and so you can handle metal objects, however if you hold one for any length of time you can get frostbite. So if it is -40 wear gloves.

Answer 2

It has to do with heat-transfer rate. Due to the greater density, metal objects conduct and radiate heat more effectively than other objects at the same temperature. Temperature differences are also a factor - the greater the difference, the greater the rate of heat exchange. So, when you touch a cold metal object, it will draw heat away from you more quickly. If you touch one while slightly damp, the rate at which the heat is drawn causes the moisture to freeze more quickly as well.

Answer 3

The exchange of temperature between a hot body and a warm body depends on the difference in temperature between the two. At temperatures that cold, the moisture on your skin freezes into ice, and you do not have sufficient heat to melt the ice on your own. This is young children are often dared to lick a flagpole on a cold day: their tongues freeze to the metal.

I'm not sure how you can relate that to atoms, except that temperature is a measure of the energy of atoms or molecules.

Answer 4

Here is the simple answer. You'll freeze your skin and the flesh beneath it. They flash freeze food stuff including fish and poultry at temperatures in the -40 degree range.

Answer 5

sure you can.. where do you get your info from. you can do anything you want to... you can even use your tongue to touch a metal object when it is cold.....

here is a true story OK..... this lady went out on this date with this man. it was a cold night. they had drank so much coffee. they went out to eat at a fancy restaurant out in the boonies. They drive back to town was long. The women drank to much coffee and had to pee so bad, but no bathroom around. she new if she held it she would pee her pants. so embarrassed in all she said ex cuss me I drank to much coffee and I really need to go to the bathroom. well with none in sight the man pulled over. this was a first date. she went in back and sat her but on the bumper and pissed. well with it being cold her *** stuck to the bumper, because of the her piss. she was now even more embarrassed. she yelled for help. they needed something warm to pry her but from the bumper. the only warm liquid that could be found was the mans pee. so he pulled out his pecker and had to pee on her to loosen her but from the bumper. now is that a first worst date or what..... this is a true story and I am not sure why the person this happened to would even ad mitt it.

Answer 6

YOU SOUND LIKE PERHAPS THAT YOU,OR SOMEBODY YOU'VE KNOWN, MAY HAVE POSSIBLY PUT THEIR TONGUE UPON EXPOSED METAL OUTSIDE, DURING FREEZING TEMPERATURES---SAME THING=THE MOISTURE ON YOU HANDS WILL FREEZE YOU SKIN TO THE METAL OBJECT WHICH IT CONTACTS AT THAT TEMPERATURE----THE FIRST PART OF THIS RESPONSE WAS ONLY A "TEASE"!!!=LOL

Answer 7

if u touch something that low of a temperature it will freeze to your hands and u will lose your hand

Answer 8

You get stuck and with an awful burn.