Why does our palm feel cold when we put some acetone or perfume on it?
Acetone and perfume are both volatile liquids, which means they evaporate quickly into the air. When we apply acetone or perfume on our palm, the following process takes place, leading to the sensation of coldness:
- Evaporation of the liquid: Both acetone and perfume have low boiling points, causing them to evaporate rapidly once applied to the skin.
- Energy transfer: During the evaporation process, the molecules of acetone or perfume gain energy from the skin to overcome the forces holding them together in the liquid state. This energy is taken from the skin in the form of heat.
- Heat transfer: Heat from the skin is used to break the intermolecular bonds and allow the molecules to escape into the air. As a result, the surface of the skin loses heat, leading to a drop in temperature.
- Sensory perception: The rapid evaporation of the volatile liquids causes a significant cooling effect on the skin, which is perceived by our sensory receptors as a sensation of coldness.
This phenomenon is similar to how sweating cools down our body in hot weather. The evaporation of sweat takes away heat from our skin, providing a cooling effect. In the case of acetone or perfume, the evaporation process is much faster, leading to a more pronounced feeling of coldness on the skin.