How Igloo’s can protect you from cold snow

Igloos and science behind

There are Two awesome science aspects behind igloo’s

One, it’s ability to keep you warmer than sourroundings , even though it’s made up of snow.

And other, the geometric stability of dome shape of igloo’s.

How they maintain warm

we know that our body continuously emit heat , if we can able to trap it and store it and then we can survive at any conditions . That is why we use sweaters in winter. That same process happens in igloo’s too . These igloo’s trap heat within it . This possible only when the material is a good thermal insulator.

Here the igloo’s is a Thermal insulator But how . How something that’s made up of ice can be thermal insulator . We all know ice is a good thermal conductor . What’s happening here. The reason is that these igloos are made up of block of ice or snow contains more than 90% of air . And air is a good insulator . That’s how igloo acts as insulator and keep us warm .

And due to this dome shape , hot air moves up and gets trapped there , As the cave entrance is too low , it’ nearly not possible to escape heat from igloo.

How igloos are geometrically stable

IN the above small blocks are arranged in parabolic or caternary (both have little difference) . Such that the load acting on these arch results compressive forces on blocks rather than bending forces . In such the wooden arch is stable eventhough the blocks are not attached with any adhesive.

In the above the wire is hanging in caternary shape due to the influence of gravity and force within chain is Tensile . Now if we exactly the flip the curve and place bricks or any blocks then the respective shape is stable and the force acts on those blocks are compressive.

This is the reason for why bridges are in these arch shape. This is one of awesome engineering’s.

click here to watch the engineering behind arch bridges by LESICS