Resumen de Why Do Objects Cool More Rapidly in Water Than in Still Air?
An Internet search for why objects, especially humans, cool more rapidly in water than in air, both at the same temperature, and by how much, yields off-the-cuff answers unsupported by experiment or analysis. To answer these questions in depth requires a smattering of engineering heat transfer, including radiative transfer, and the different thermophysical properties of the two fluids. The correct ratio for humans is closer to 2 than to 10, and if this were not so, swimming in cool water could be fatal.
