Question

You are sitting at your desk and you notice that when touched, the metal on your desk chair feels colder than the wooden tabletop. What is the primary property that will cause the one to feel colder than the other?

Answer 1

The reason that one feels colder than the other is because of thermal conductivity and heat transfer mechanisms. Metals generally have high thermal conductivity. when you touch a metal, its heat is rapidly conducted to your skin, making it feel cold. In contast wood has a lower thermal conductivity.