Why do you feel colder in water than in air at the same temperature?

The reason you feel colder in water than in air at the same temperature is primarily due to the property of water that allows it to remove heat from the body more efficiently than air. Water is denser than air, and it has a higher thermal conductivity, which means it can absorb heat from your body much faster. This leads to a increased rate of heat loss when you are submerged in water, making you feel colder even though the temperatures are the same.

When you are in water, your body is in direct contact with a medium that can conduct heat away from you at a much higher rate compared to air. This thermal exchange occurs because water molecules move more closely together than air molecules, facilitating a faster transfer of heat away from your body. As a result, you start to lose body heat rapidly when you are exposed to water, contributing to a feeling of coldness.

Understanding this principle helps divers and those in aquatic environments to appreciate the importance of proper thermal protection, like wetsuits or drysuits, to manage body temperature effectively.