Question

Discuss why wearing more layers of clothing during winter keeps us warmer than wearing just one thick piece of clothing.

Answer 1

Hint : As we know that our bodies emit heat. If we wear thin layers of clothes, then air circulation is easier between our skin and surrounding air. More clothing eventually leads to more trapped air between our skin and clothes and the body remains warm.

Complete step by step solution :
When we wear more layers of clothes the space between them is filled by air. Air is a bad conductor of heat, which means it does not allow heat to pass through it. All the bodies emit some heat due to their temperature. If a person wears multiple layers of clothes this heat will not be able to pass through them. Thus it will get trapped. This heat will keep us warmer. However this does not happen if we wear just one thick piece of clothing, as it will allow heat emitted by us to pass through it.
Wearing more layers of clothes also increases the total surface area of clothes we are wearing. As we move these different layers slide against each other producing extra heat which also add to the warmth. Black color is the best absorber of heat. Thus wearing dark clothes also adds up the warmth.

Note : All the bodies emit radiation at all temperatures. But this radiation is often not visible to us. It is visible only at very high temperatures for most of the bodies. This radiation is the reason for the color of iron at high temperatures. Usually the radiation emitted by most of the bodies at room temperature falls in the infrared region. So they are not visible to the human eye.