Heat
Which Feels Cooler?
← All Exhibits
Touch two different materials sitting at exactly the same room temperature, and one will feel noticeably colder than the other — not because of its actual temperature, but because of how fast it pulls heat away from your skin.
Additional Information
Metal feels colder than wood or fabric at the same temperature because metal conducts heat away from your hand much faster.
Your skin senses the rate heat is flowing away from it, not the material’s actual temperature — which is why this trick works every time.
The same principle explains why a tile floor feels cold underfoot even in a warm room, while a carpeted floor right next to it feels comfortable.
In your textbook
- Going Further 6–8, Topic 32: Can You Build a Box That Keeps Ice Frozen All Day? → The science you will design with
- Grade 10 Science, Unit 9: Heat → Thermal energy, heat and temperature
- Grade 8 Science, Unit 7: Energy in Daily Life → 7.1.1 Conduction
- Grade 9 Science, Unit 17: Metals and Non-metals → General properties of metals