How Hot Can It Be Inside Eskimo Houses and Igloos?

So how do these houses, made entirely of snow, keep the people inside warm? To trap the heat inside the igloo Would you think the same if we told you that magnificent workmanship was used?

This is what we usually see on television or in movies. dome shaped snow houses In fact, it is not much different from the houses we live in. Moreover, they tried many ways to maintain the temperature inside. Let’s see if physics can explain this situation.

Igloos are known for being a warm house in the Arctic regions where cold weather is effective.

When viewed from a distance, it looks like it will break if you touch it. snow structuresIt can have the warmth to support a family. However, this is not a house built like the snowmen we built.

As we all know, snow has an insulating feature. Especially At night when it snows, the surroundings become quieter and the air becomes warmer. This is related to the fact that snow insulates warm air. Just like in this case, the same logic applies to igloos.

The outer walls of the igloo are covered with fine ice crystals, and these crystals prevent the outside cold from seeping in.

The hot air inside, gets trapped in the air spaces in the abdomen and these gaps retain heat and keep the interior warm. Of course, it should not be overlooked that the number of people and animal skins inside are also very important in maintaining this temperature.

“So why isn’t its shape square like a house?” you may think. The warmth factor lies behind the dome-shaped design. This shape minimizes the effects of wind, which helps maintain the temperature inside.

Well, when you go in and out, doesn’t the air inside go outside and the air outside go inside?

No, it’s not going. Because The entrance to an igloo is provided from a single point, Neither the cold air can get in nor the hot air inside can go out. Don’t be confused, because the entrance door is not in the same position as the entrance door in our homes.

By digging from underground tunnel is being created, While entrances and exits are provided from here, the temperature inside the house is also maintained.

You can compare this to a small blanket keeping us warm while lying on the couch. Because it traps the hot air and does not make us cold.

Igloos work with a similar logic; Its walls prevent evaporation by trapping body heat to maintain the temperature inside. Because it is built using compressed snow, it is compact and Hardened snow provides a high degree of thermal insulation. The reason is that snow consists of tiny ice crystals, most of which consist of semi-frozen water and 95% of which is trapped air.

This air prevents heat loss due to convection effect. The heat escaping from the body interacts with the air inside the igloo. It preserves the temperature of the internal environment.

Cold air is denser than warm air.

That’s why cold weather to the bottom of the igloo As it settles, warm air moves upward. This minimizes heat loss. A well-constructed igloo can create a temperature difference of approximately 40°C between the interior and exterior using body heat.

It is a dome as we know it, but we should not forget to mention the importance of its shape, which is actually a catenary curve.

this is special catenary curve, provides significant advantages when inverted. It provides perfect balance while using minimal material while effectively supporting its own weight. It is this special shape that helps a snow igloo to stand firmly, even if it does not have a direct effect on maintaining temperature.

As you can see, we always see it in movies. These warm houses of the Eskimos, It is no less than a house form, just like the one we live in. The most important features that make it a home are its ingeniously designed architecture and clever use of the rules of physics.

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