Why does ethanol feel colder on our skin compared to water?

AI Thread Summary
Ethanol feels colder on the skin than water due to its higher evaporation rate, which requires more energy to convert from liquid to gas. This process absorbs heat from the skin, creating a cooling sensation. While water also evaporates, it does so more slowly than ethanol. The difference in evaporation rates explains why ethanol feels colder despite both substances undergoing evaporation. Therefore, the cooling effect of ethanol is primarily due to its rapid evaporation compared to water.
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When we have ethanol on our skin it feels colder than when we have water on our skin. The explanation given was that more energy is required to turn one molecule of liquid ethanol to gaseous ethanol than for one molecule of liquid water. However, in that case won't more of the water evaporate too? So why would ethanol feel colder?
 
Science news on Phys.org
Ethanol evaporates faster.
 

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