Question

On a cold morning, a metal surface will feel colder to touch than a wooden surfaces, because

• A. metal has low specific heat
• B. metal has high thermal conductivity
• C. metal has high specific heat
• D. metal has low thermal conductivity

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

metal has high thermal conductivity

Answer 2

The body temperature during winter is more than the surrounding temperature of our atmosphere. And so the temperature of the wood or the metal surface is at a lower temperature than the body. Now when we touch the wood or the metal surface, because of the temperature difference, heat flow will take palce from our body to wood or metal surface. As the metal surface has got a high thermal condiuctivity than wood, the heat flow from our body to metal surface is faster and so we feel colder to touch the metal surface than a wooden one.