Q. Why would not a cotton handkerchief do as well?
A. The coarse fibres of cotton have much less capillary attraction, and are nothing like such good conductors as linen: and, therefore, wiping the face with a cotton handkerchief, increases the sensation of warmth.
CHAPTER XIV.
2.—ABSORPTION OF HEAT.
Q. What is the difference between conducting heat, and absorbing heat?
A. To conduct heat, is to transmit it from one body to another through a conducting medium: to absorb heat, is to suck it up, as a sponge sucks up water.
Q. Give me an example.
A. Black cloth absorbs, but does not conduct heat: thus, if black cloth be laid in the sun, it will absorb the rays very rapidly; but if one end of the black cloth be made hot, it would not conduct the heat to the other end.
Q. Are good conductors of heat, good absorbers also?
A. No; every good conductor of heat is a bad absorber of it; and no good absorber of heat can be a good conductor also.