HEAT & HUMIDITY · INTERACTIVE LESSON 1/8
Why does it feel hotter?
The thermometer is only part of the story. Explore the air around a person and discover what helps sweat evaporate.
ILLUSTRATIVE 3D MODELMotion paused
Results are also explained in the controlsNot to scale
YOUR EXPERIMENT
Compare dry and humid air, then add a breeze.
Feel the difference
Relative evaporation potentialModerate
Mint particles represent water vapor leaving the skin. Drier air generally lets sweat evaporate more readily.
Qualitative experiment. This is not the forecast’s feels-like formula, and a breeze is not a guarantee of safe conditions.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
The science behind the scene
Evaporation takes energy from the skin. Moist air leaves less room for sweat to evaporate; moving air carries moist air away. Air temperature also changes heat exchange with the surroundings. The animation shows these relationships, not a medical heat-risk assessment or an exact feels-like temperature.
National Weather Service · Heat indexMAKE IT YOURS
Compare dry and humid air, then add a breeze.
Complete the experiment above to unlock.