2006-09-14 06:26:03 · 10 answers · asked by hunnk33 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Water will absorb the heat in your body faster than air
2006-09-14 06:28:18 · answer #1 · answered by dwh12345 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Temperature is the average amount of heat in a given amount of mass. If we hold your body weight constant for the amount of time you are standing outside, then the reduction of heat in your body will be a function of the mass and temperature around you.
Since the temperature is constant, only the mass matters. Liquids are denser than a gas. It is the surface area of your skin which transfers heat. Fewer particles of air would touch that surface than would particles of water. The particles touching you would be heated upon contact and your skin would cool.
You would freeze in the water quicker because more mass is in contact with your body. Further, if you look at the volume of material around you, because the water or air contacting you would then be in contact with other matter, the mass that must be heated to your body temperature to prevent freezing is much greater in water than air.
2006-09-14 13:37:10 · answer #2 · answered by OPM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The specific heat of water is greater than the specific heat of air. That is to say that it requires more energy to raise the temperature of 1gram of water at 32 degrees by one degree than it does to do the same for air.
2006-09-14 13:37:04 · answer #3 · answered by Stewart H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water is 17 times denser than air, so it will cool you 17 times faster. Water has 4 times the specific heat, so even if you get out, the water in your clothes can absorb more than 60 times the heat of the air it replaced.
2006-09-14 13:38:09 · answer #4 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because liquid water has a much greater heat capacity than air. This means that it will be more effective at cooling you than air (i.e., your body's temperature will equilibrate to the water's temperature faster).
Q = m*c*(T1-T2)
Q = heat loss
m = mass
c = heat capacity or specific heat
T1 = body temperature
T2 = water/air temperature
m, T1, and T2 are the same in each case, but c for water is much greater than c for air. Therefore, the heat loss (Q) for water will be greater.
2006-09-14 13:29:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
water is a better conductor than air... 32 degree water will pull the heat right out of you....
That's also why an electric wire hanging in the air 5 feet from you won't hurt you but a wire 5 feet from you when you and the wire are in water can kill you....
2006-09-14 13:34:22 · answer #6 · answered by Andy FF1,2,CrTr,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just reiterating, it's heat transfer. Your body heat will transfer to the water more quickly, thus lowering your own to a point of hypothermia.
2006-09-14 13:39:24 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water conducts heat far more quickly than air. 20x if I remember my SCUBA course correctly.
2006-09-14 13:37:45 · answer #8 · answered by Scott M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hypothermia
2006-09-14 14:01:23 · answer #9 · answered by Natasha B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hypothermia
2006-09-14 13:33:46 · answer #10 · answered by woody 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋