If you were in a space ship and could stick your unprotected hand outside would your hand freeze or burn up?

Answer 1

Your hand would neither freeze nor burn. The heat transfer coefficient in space is extremely low. We've all heard stories of how hot it is in space in the prescence of the sun and how cold it is in the shadows. Though technically true, the heat transfer coefficient is so low that you wouldn't feel much of a difference.

The only heat transfer to and from your hand would be due to radiation. The radiation into your hand wouldn't be much different than what you experience from the earths surface (from Low Earth Orbit). Convection and Conduction would hardly play a role.

You would lose heat in your hand due to infra-red radiation and you would gain heat due to the sun's light. Overall, temperature wise, you would be fine. However, since the pressure is practically zero, your blood would boil out (not due to heat) and you would die very quickly.

But the concept here is that the heat transfer coefficient is what determines whether your hand would actually freeze or burn. You can hold 3000 degree space shuttle ceramic blocks in your hand without getting burned because their heat transfer coefficient is so low.

The reason 50 degree water and 50 degree air feel so different is because the heat transfer coefficient of each is very different.

Hope this makes sense.

Answer 2

If your spaceship was on earth nothing would happen. If it was in deep space your hand would explode from the vaporizing gases and liquids in your tissues because of the extreme vacuum of space. Then, what was left would freeze.

Answer 3

It would freeze regardless of the direction you're facing. Actually, it might explode as well, with the pressure differences in space.

Answer 4

freeze!
Average temperature of space is about 4 K

Although the answer to your question depends upon the location in space........near to a star(it will incinerate sort of melt because of absence of oxygen combustion is not possible!).....or in the middle of nowhere!

Also your hand will explode due to the vacuum outside.....thats why space suits are necessary

Answer 5

it would probably explode...we are pressurized beings the pressure inside your hand would be much greater that the 0 pressure outside, so it would explode and freeze

Answer 6

do to the pressure in space, your hand would explode

Answer 7

freeze

Answer 8

freeze

Answer 9

depends if you were facing the sun, or in the shadow

Answer 10

either way it'd boil and evaporate.