WikiMechanics: Big Thermal Sensations

Big Thermal Sensations

Cover image for //Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World// by C Hatkoff, 2007.

Cover image for Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by C Hatkoff, 2007.

Definition: Powerful perceptions of heat, or the sensation of any extraordinary temperature, are called big thermal sensations. Big thermal sensations are described using words like; cold, hot, icy, boiling, freezing, scorching, frosty, blistering and so on. They are not like the reference-sensation of touching a living human body.

By the third hypothesis, the reference experience for these sensations is touching ice. So to make a binary description of a big thermal sensation, compare it to touching ice. Report the result using one of the following algebraic statements.

If the sensation is not comparable to touching ice, then say that the sensation is not a big thermal sensation and express this by writing

$\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{T}=0 $}$

If the sensation is like touching ice, then say that it is cold. Express this as

$\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{T}=+1 $}$

If the sensation is not like touching ice, then say that it is hot and that

$\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{T}=-1 $}$

If it is both like and not-like touching ice, then say it is a composite sensation and that

$\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ -1 < \delta_{T} < 1 $}$

Page tags: big cold hot ice thermal

page_revision: 108, last_edited: 1265696292|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z (%O ago)

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