If you wash your hands in barely warm water after spending an hour shoveling snow without wearing gloves, the water is likely to seem uncomfortably warm. This is because sensations for temperature are

Question

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Sensations of temperature are relative to the skin temperature. When the skin is cold, warm water may feel uncomfortably hot, but when the skin is warm, the same water may feel pleasant or even cool. This is due to the way that our thermoreceptors respond to changes in skin temperature.

If You Wash Your Hands in Barely Warm Water After