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Re: [Phys-l] coffee + cream



On 10/10/2006 06:23 PM, Cliff Parker wrote:

I have used this problem for years and never thought about the temperature
difference between the milk and room. I wonder why not.

Perhaps because in /typical/ situations, the coffee is cooling by
evaporation -- latent heat and all that -- while the milk is warming
only by conduction. The former is incomparably more powerful. It
is alsoexponentially sensitive to temperature. On top of all that,
it is exceedingly sensitive to other factors, such as blowing on
the coffee, or putting a lid over it. So as a /practical/ matter,
paying disproportionate attention to the coffee makes a certain
amount of sense.