On a cold day, a pen’s metal cap feels noticeably colder to the touch than its plastic body, even though both are at the same room temperature. Why?

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1. On a cold day, a pen’s metal cap feels noticeably colder to the touch than its plastic body, even though both are at the same room temperature. Why?

Metals have a higher thermal capacity than plastics

Plastics have a lower density than metals

Metals are good conductors of heat, drawing heat away from your skin faster

Plastics conduct heat better than metals

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Metal conducts heat away from your fingertip much faster than plastic does, at the same actual temperature. That faster heat loss is what makes it feel colder, even though both objects are equally cold.