Science Boffs - help me with this question please (and I know you will because all Science Bods are intrinsically curious!)

[SmugColditz]

When you get something out of the freezer and hold it close to your cheek, why can you feel the coldness?

Cold is supposed to be a lack of energy, isn't it? So why, when something is very cold, does it seem radiant?

Would it be because the heat is radiating away from your cheek more quickly?

Where is MB when you need her?

Gotta ask............ why are you holding things by your cheek??

But why does the heat leave my skin more quickly when next to something cold? What's going on, that isn't going on at room temperature?

Actually, it's because I keep my coffee in the freezer and I like to sniff it when I take it out to use it.

Think of it like a slide - the more difference in temperature, the steeper the slide, so the faster the energy 'moves'

At room temperature theres less of a difference, so less movement of energy

I would suggest that cold doesnt emit latent cold as the sun for example emits latent heat. If a product feels cold my guess would be that it be due to the natural movement of the air that you would "feel" the cold. Cold is temperature based obviously and in the same as when you stand outside in a very cold winters night, its not the "cold" that you feel its the atmosphere and the humidity that causes the air to feel cold.

Heat travels from a area of high temperature to an area of low temperature.

When you hold a cold object close to your body, the air between you cools because heat moves from the air to the cold object. You can sense the temperature change through receptors in your skin.

A fine reason! I was thinking you had some weirdy cold cheek fetish

Thank you very much. I have always wondered why it happened.

I really wish I had carried on with science (or anything really) after 16, because I was quuite good at it really.