Author Topic: The ambient temperature of Rocks (Read 206 times)

Yeager · « **on:** May 14, 2004, 11:36:22 AM »

Ive go one right here. Nice smooth little feller fits in my hand. Thing is its always 10 to 15 degrees cooler then the atmospherice temperature.

Why is this?

midnight Target · « **Reply #1 on:** May 14, 2004, 11:38:08 AM »

How do you know?

Maybe it's the same as the ambient temp, and your hand is hot from the friction?

capt. apathy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2004, 11:42:12 AM »

it's not cooler. solids transfer heat more efficiently than gasses, so while the rock is the same as the air, both are cooler than your body temp. the rock takes heat away from your body faster than the air, so it feels cooler.

try this one. put your rock in a sauna for a few hours, pump the heat in there up as much as you can stand it above your body temp, (it'll have to stay that way for awhile for the rock and air to be the same temp) go in there and the rock will feel hotter than the air.

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2004, 11:44:03 AM »

It's not cooler than the air temp. It's just that your body can transfer heat to it at a much higher rate than to the air, due to the properties of the material.

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2004, 11:44:41 AM »

Oh Apathy got it right, damn I need to work on reading skills.

ravells · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2004, 11:49:11 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by midnight Target
How do you know?

Maybe it's the same as the ambient temp, and your hand is hot from the friction?