help me please
i am extremely curious how the hot pack and cold pack work.
what i mean is the packs which are used for muscle relaxation usually in sports.
do u know?
2007-01-01 13:46:48 · 5 answers · asked by Heizel T.M 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
In sports, the hot and cold packs are usually just plastic bags that contain a gellatinous material that can be heated or cooled and then applied to your boo-boo. The reason behind having a gel is so that it will conform to your body part better, the liquid is usually water which has a very high specific heat content (holds a large amount of heat per gram of material).
There are other ones which derive their heat from other processes. One of these are the heat packs where you have a clicker to fles in the bag and it crystallizes and gets warm. This is usually sodium acetate and the bag can be regenerated by putting it in boiling water for awhile. The cold pack is usually ammonium chloride with a breakable capsule of water so that the salt starts to dissolve and it has a positive heat of solution leading to an endothermic process and getting cool. This one could only be regenerated if you drove all the water off the ammonium chloride.
2007-01-01 15:02:30 · answer #1 · answered by kentucky 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are talking about the gel packs that are used for either then these packs are great. You can keep them in the freezer ang use for headaches and swelling and if you need to apply heat just run under hot water for a few minutes and you have a hot compress.
2007-01-01 13:58:13 · answer #2 · answered by snickers27 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reaction between ammonium nitrate and water is generally the basis for the cold pack. When they react initially, when the inside of the packet is mixed, it is an endothermic reaction, absorbing energy from the surroundings. In the case of the pack, your body. That's why you feel cold.
The heat pack is reaction of either calcium chloride or magnesium sulfate with water. This reaction is exothermic, producing heat.
2007-01-01 13:55:28 · answer #3 · answered by doctorevil64 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cold packs are used first to bring the swelling under control, like to stop the blood from pooling to the injured area.But use it for 15 min. at a time to prevent tissue injury. After 24 hours of cold therapy you can use heat packs to sooth the pain and soreness.
2007-01-01 13:58:40 · answer #4 · answered by gabeymac♥ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cold pack , for sure , is ammonium chloride in water hot pack... am sorry
2016-03-29 03:52:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋