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QPages 96-97: Q5: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Heat Transfer Pages 96-97: Q5 Solution: On a cold winter night you are asked to sit on a chair. Would…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often assume that two objects at the same temperature will feel equally warm, overlooking that the sensation of cold depends on the rate of heat flow. Remember that a material with high thermal conductivity (e.g., metal) draws heat from your skin much faster than a low‑conductivity material (e.g., wood), so it feels colder even though both are at the same temperature.

On a cold winter night you are asked to sit on a chair. Would you like to choose a metal chair or a wooden chair? Both are kept in the same lawn and are at the same temperature.

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** You should choose the wooden chair. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** A wooden chair has much lower thermal conductivity than a metal chair. When you sit, the wooden chair allows very little heat from your body to pass through it, and its contact area quickly reaches body temperature, so it does not feel cold. The metal chair conducts heat away from your body rapidly, making it feel cold [citation:13].

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