Science · 6 pages · 12 min
Why humid air changes how heat feels
Humid air slows the evaporation of sweat, so the same air temperature feels hotter.
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From the opening
Humid air changes how heat feels because it changes how fast sweat can evaporate. The thermometer can read the same number on a dry afternoon and a muggy one, while the skin loses heat at two different rates. The opening covers why the thermometer misses it, what a small vapor gap does, and when contact cooling still works.
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Inside
- Why the thermometer misses it
- What a small vapor gap does
- When contact cooling still works
- What the wet bulb reports
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Evaporative cooling limited by humid air
- Wet-bulb temperature versus the dry-bulb reading