Question

If we touch a piece of steel and wood on a winter day we feel that the steel is colder than the wood. If we touch the steel and wood on a summer day we feel that steel is hotter than wood. Why?

Answer 1

Steel feels colder than wood in winter and hotter in summer due to its higher thermal conductivity, not because of a difference in their actual temperatures. Sensations of hot and cold are influenced by the rate of heat transfer to and from our bodies and by environmental factors like wind chill and humidity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sensation of steel feeling colder than wood on a winter day and hotter on a summer day is due to thermal conductivity. Both the steel and the wood are at the same temperature as the environment, but steel conducts heat away from your hand more quickly than wood, making it feel colder in winter. In summer, steel transfers the ambient heat to your hand faster than wood, making it feel hotter. This differential heat transfer is why our human perception of temperature is not solely based on the actual temperature of the object we're touching.

Factors like wind chill and humidity can also affect how we perceive hot and cold. For instance, wind can increase the rate at which thermal energy is removed from our bodies, making us feel colder, while high humidity prevents efficient evaporation of sweat, leaving us feeling hotter.