SOME LIKE IT HOT, SOME LIKE IT COOL!
The experience that your friend or colleague complaining that they are cold when you feel comfortable or even hot is a common phenomenon and there are many reasons why two people might experience the same temperature differently.
The way we perceive temperature can depend on other variables such as humidity, altitude, wind chill or even the environment to which we are accustomed.
There are various types of climate classification systems and the simplest way to classify climate is to use latitude. Different latitudes on Earth get different amounts of sunlight and sunlight can be a key factor to determine climate. Regions at higher latitudes receive sunlight at a sharp angle and sun rays are spread over a wide area. Places within the arctic climate zones tend to be snow or ice-covered year-round. Mid-latitude areas, the temperate zones, receive sunlight at a moderate angle resulting in distinct changes across four seasons. Low latitudes receive sunlight almost vertically and the sun’s rays are concentrated in these areas.
Our Internal Thermostat
So what might be the unique element that determines how we perceive temperature? This element is a sort of built-in thermostat each of us have: our brains! The process our brains use to detect temperature and regulate temperature are closely related. Thermoreceptors on our skin send signals to our brains when they encounter something like the cool touch of ice cream or the tingling sensation of spicy food. The brain then reacts to these signals and this is why we shiver when we’re cold and sweat when we’re hot.
When we stay in a constant environment for an extended period of time, our brain works to acclimatise our bodies to that environment. This process is one theory that could explain why a house with the thermostat set to 24°C (75°F) feels warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter or why someone standing next to you can feel cold while you feel warm.
The Wind Chill Factor
The wind chill factor plays a major role in how we perceive the temperature outdoors and is commonly used as an indicator of what the temperature actually feels like. The outdoor temperature along with wind speed determines the wind chill factor.
The level of relative humidity in the atmosphere can also make us warmer or cooler that the actual temperature. A large amount of moisture in the air makes it hard for us to evaporate sweat from our skin and makes us feel warmer, while a lower amount of moisture in the air makes evaporation easier and makes us feel cooler.
Temperature is clearly a complex matter and things may not look, or feel, just as they seem.
Lucky for us, LG is an expert in temperature and is continuously conducting research to better understand temperature and environments so that we can be comfortable in all conditions, with features built into our air conditioning units such as direct or indirect airflow, comfort cooling and dual sensing control.
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