2007-04-19 07:35:21 · 10 answers · asked by Skitzofrenik 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Two reasons. First the body temperature you are referring to is the core temperature. A good portion of your skin is not that warm, just ask any small woman who lives in the frozen tundra. Her hands would be very icy. That is why you don't take your temperature from your hand.
Next, your skin is acclimated to the air temprerature, usually room temperature. Your skin can trick you...try the ol' switch hands from warm to cold water routine. You will see.
2007-04-19 07:47:46 · answer #1 · answered by way2ticklish4myowngood 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because of conduction. Water is a great conductor of changes in temperature. I am sure if you had a log that was 97.8 degrees F, it would not feel as hot as the water. And a sheet of copper at 97.8 degrees F might feel hotter than the water. It is also true that the normal temperature of the surface of your hand is cooler than your core temperature (98.6 F).
2007-04-19 11:00:53 · answer #2 · answered by misoma5 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our body temperature is optimized for all the chemical reactions going on. Our skin temperature is lower, about 90°F. We burn lots of calories and give off waste heat. We need to keep a cool 99°, otherwise our organs start failing. An adult human with a body temperature of 108 is in danger of brain damage. That's only 9 degrees above average!! We use clothing, sweat, breathing, activity (including shivering) to regulate our temperature. We are most comfortable, depending on clothing, when we are able to keep our core temperature at optimum with minimum sweating. So, low to mid 70's is the "goldilocks zone" - not too hot and not too cold. However when I am at my desk 75 is just fine but when I'm out in my lab it is too hot. When I am doing chores outside my home, 65 is great and when I'm doing heavy chores, 55 is fine. So I wonder about your 70's statement. It will depend on weather, clothing, and what you are doing. Sounds like you aren't particularly active?
2016-05-19 00:00:09 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your skin temperature is lower than 98.6F (internal body temp as measured under tongue or rectally). More importantly, nerves, including the ones for sensing temperature, respond to CHANGES in stimulation, not usually just a direct measurement of their sense target. People can adapt to feeling comfortable in different temperatures, to a point. We are warm blooded animals and we continuously produce heat with our metabolism and other cellular activities. Our heat production is balanced so that we keep optimum internal body temperature when the air is about 50-90F or so, naked. Excess heat must be released into the air from our skin and breath. We can adapt to feeling comfortable around that range by our nerves getting used to that type of stimulation. Most of us here are adapted to around 72F indoor temperature. Compare that to 98.6 in air or in a hot tub. It's a big change and we must adapt our nerve signals to feel comfortable in the change of temperature.
2007-04-19 07:50:29 · answer #4 · answered by Aaron d 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because that is your internal body temperature. The outside has been exposed to usually a cooler temp for a longer period of time so the skin will feel more heat initially.
2007-04-19 07:44:50 · answer #5 · answered by crazy_fuzzy_bunny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try this - - run the water over the inside of your wrist. You will find that when the water temp is equal to body temperature, the sensation of heat or cold will disappear. That is traditionally the way mothers can tell if their infant formula is right.
2007-04-19 13:06:45 · answer #6 · answered by Renaissance Man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The outside temperature of your skin is much cooler than the temperature of your body's core, because the temperature of the outside of your skin is just a little warmer than the dew point temperature of the air surrounding it.
(because water is constantly evaporating from the outside of the skin.......similar to a swamp, or evaporative cooler)
2007-04-19 16:36:51 · answer #7 · answered by gatorbait 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because that is the temperature of our inner core --we respond to the temperature on the outside of our bodies--the skin could be cooler than the water
2007-04-19 07:43:43 · answer #8 · answered by Theresa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is because the is the temperature of the inside of our body. One of our scences is to feel things. So we may feel things differently on the outside than on the inside. It also may be with the weather conditions. If it is cold outside and you stick your finger in boiling hot water, it will feel hotter than if you were in your house.
2007-04-19 07:47:09 · answer #9 · answered by soccersweetie700 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the body temp is 98.6. It feels hot because your hand is used to being in room temperature air. It's all relative.
2007-04-19 07:42:31 · answer #10 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋