In a previous article1 I analyzed in detail the physical factors resulting in greater cooling rates of objects in still water than in still air, emphasizing cooling of the human body. By cooling rate I mean the rate of decrease of core temperature uncompensated by metabolism. I concluded that the “correct ratio for humans is closer to 2 than to 10.” To support this assertion I subsequently did experiments, which I report following a digression on hypothermia.

Topics
Thermoelectricity, Thermal conductivity, D0 experiments, Activation energies, Polymers, Chemical reaction dynamics, Chemist, Regression analysis
1.
Craig F.
 
Bohren
, “
Why do objects cool more rapidly in water than in still air?
”
Phys. Teach.
 
49
,
357
–
360
(
Dec. 2011
).
https://doi.org/10.1119/1.3661099
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2.
G. W.
 
Molnar
, “
Survival of hypothermia by men immersed in the ocean
,”
J. Am. Med. Soc.
 
131
,
1046
–
1050
(
1946
).
Google Scholar
 
© 2012 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2012
American Association of Physics Teachers
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