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Heat Capacity, Body Temperature, and Hypothermia

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Doris R. Kimbrough

University of Colorado at Denver, Chemistry Department Box 194, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364

J. Chem. Educ., 1998, 75 (1), p 48

DOI: 10.1021/ed075p48

Publication Date (Web): January 1, 1998

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Even when air and water are at the same temperature, water will "feel" distinctly colder to us. This difference is due to the much higher heat capacity of water than of air. Offered here is an interesting life science application of water's high heat capacity and its serious implications for the maintenance of body temperature and the prevention of hypothermia in warm-blooded animals.

Keywords (Audience):

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords (Domain):

Public Understanding / Outreach

Keywords (Feature):

Applications and Analogies

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Analogies / Transfer

Keywords (Subject):

Calorimetry / Thermochemistry

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

Introduction of Differential Scanning Calorimetry in a General Chemistry Laboratory Course: Determination of Heat Capacity of Metals and Demonstration of the Law of Dulong and Petit
Ronald P. D'Amelia , Vincent Stracuzzi and William F. Nirode
Journal of Chemical Education2008 85 (1), 109
- Introduction of Differential Scanning Calorimetry in a General Chemistry Laboratory Course: Determination of Heat Capacity of Metals and Demonstration of the Law of Dulong and Petit
  Ronald P. D'Amelia , Vincent Stracuzzi and William F. Nirode
  Journal of Chemical Education2008 85 (1), 109
  Today's general chemistry students are introduced to many of the principles and concepts of thermodynamics. In first-year general chemistry undergraduate courses, thermodynamic properties such as heat capacity are frequently discussed. Classical ...
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