Beat the Heat: Feel the Breeze for Cool Comfort

  • Thread starter Fletcher
  • Start date
In summary, when sitting still in 90 degree weather, the air around your skin becomes saturated with perspiration and the evaporative cooling is hard to feel. However, when driving down the highway with fast-moving air, the micro-climate is stripped away and more evaporative cooling occurs, making you feel cooler. This effect used to be more noticeable when using organic solvents on your hands in high school.
  • #1
Fletcher
25
0
Why is it when I'm outside in the 90 degree weather the air feels incredibly hot, but when I get in my car and roll the window down and drive along the air blowing against me feels cold? The only difference is the air is moving across my skin, right?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
When you are sitting still in 90 deg weather, you have a micro-climate next to your skin that is becoming saturated with perspiration and the evaporative cooling is hard to feel. When you drive down the highway, the fast-moving air strips away that micro-climate and more evaporative cooling occurs, so you feel cooler.
 
  • #3
This used to be much more obvious when you were allowed to pour organic solvents on your hands in high school!
 
  • #4
mgb_phys said:
This used to be much more obvious when you were allowed to pour organic solvents on your hands in high school!

that's a completely different effect
 
  • #5
It's still cooling by evaporation, but blowing on acetone is a much quicker example of the cooling effects than air.
 

What is "Beat the Heat: Feel the Breeze for Cool Comfort"?

"Beat the Heat: Feel the Breeze for Cool Comfort" is a scientific study that explores ways to increase comfort and decrease heat stress for individuals in hot environments.

Why is it important to study heat stress?

Heat stress can have negative impacts on human health and performance, and with the increasing frequency of heatwaves due to climate change, it is important to find ways to mitigate its effects.

What methods were used in this study?

The study used a combination of field experiments and computer simulations to analyze the effectiveness of different strategies for reducing heat stress.

What were the results of the study?

The study found that using fans and evaporative cooling techniques were the most effective methods for reducing heat stress and increasing comfort in hot environments.

How can these findings be applied in real-world situations?

The findings of this study can be applied in various settings, such as outdoor work environments, sports events, and even in designing cooling systems for buildings. By implementing these strategies, individuals can stay cool and comfortable even in hot conditions.

Similar threads

I The best way to keep an office cool in the hot summer
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
8
Views
1K
B Cooling the room with a ceiling fan and skylight window
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
10
Views
3K
Why Does Closing My Door Increase the Breeze in My Room?
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
3
Views
2K
I Optimizing Evaporative Cooling via Sweat in Dry Desert?
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
4
Views
1K
B Are wind farms stealing the cooling capacity of the wind?
    • Thermodynamics
Replies
4
Views
682
B How to estimate the heating power of warm air entering a room?
    • Classical Physics
Replies
8
Views
954
B How does sweating cool a person down?
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
9
Views
13K
Improving Air Flow on a 50ft Houseboat in the Desert SW
    • General Engineering
Replies
33
Views
3K
B Colder bedrooms when outside is warmer
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
34
Views
2K
Challenging the 'Insulation Protects Against Burst Pipes' Theory
    • General Discussion
Replies
10
Views
510

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top