Physics
Why Metal Feels Colder than Wood
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A steel railing and a wooden bench at the same 10 °C, yet the steel feels icy. Skin senses how fast heat leaves it, and metal conducts heat hundreds of times faster than wood.
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Key points
- Objects left together reach the same temperature (a thermometer reads both 10 °C).
- Skin does not sense temperature directly; it senses the rate of heat flow out of (or into) it.
- Metal is a good conductor: it pulls heat from your finger and spreads it away, so the skin cools fast.
- Wood is an insulator: heat leaves slowly and the touched spot warms up, so it does not feel cold. On a hot day metal feels hotter for the same reason.
Thermal conductivity (approximate, W/m·K)
| Material | Thermal conductivity |
|---|---|
| Copper | ≈ 400 |
| Aluminium | ≈ 205 |
| Steel | ≈ 15–50 |
| Glass | ≈ 1 |
| Wood | ≈ 0.1–0.2 |
Everyday examples
- Cooking pans are metal (heat flows in fast); handles are wood or plastic (heat flows slowly).
- A tiled floor feels colder than a carpet in the same room.
- A metal seat in the sun can burn, while a wooden bench beside it is only warm.
Try it yourself
Goal: See why two objects at the same temperature feel different, and how the feel reverses above skin temperature.
- Choose a material for each hand.
- Set the temperature of both objects with the slider.
- Press Touch both, or drag the time slider, and watch the contact temperature and heat flow.
- Raise the temperature above 33 °C and see the feel reverse.
Quick quiz
3 questions. Choose an answer for each, then submit to see your score and the explanations.