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Chapter 10: Problem 25

When a person has a severe fever, one therapy used to reduce the fever is an alcohol rub. Explain how the evaporation of alcohol from a person’s skin removes heat energy from the body.

Short Answer

Expert verified
An alcohol rub helps reduce fever by utilizing the process of evaporation. When alcohol is applied on the skin, it forms a thin layer and absorbs heat energy from the body, causing it to evaporate and turn into vapor. This heat transfer between the body and alcohol leads to a decrease in body temperature, providing relief from fever symptoms. Repeated application of alcohol rubs may be necessary to maintain the cooling effect and continue lowering the body temperature.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the evaporation process

Evaporation is the process in which a liquid turns into vapor by absorbing heat energy from its surroundings. When alcohol is applied to a person's skin, it forms a thin layer. The alcohol molecules gain energy from the body heat, which causes them to evaporate, turning into vapor.
02

Heat transfer between the body and alcohol

The heat energy transfer occurs between the body and the alcohol layer on the skin. As the alcohol evaporates, it absorbs the heat energy from the body surface. This energy comes from the body's fever, which is the body's attempt to defend itself against infection.
03

Cooling effect on the body

As the alcohol absorbs heat energy from the body's surface, it causes the body temperature to decrease. The cooling effect not only reduces the fever but may also provide relief from the symptoms accompanying the fever.
04

Repeated application for sustained effect

In order to maintain the cooling effect and continue to reduce the fever, alcohol rubs may need to be applied repeatedly. As the previously applied alcohol evaporates and removes heat energy, new layers of alcohol will need to be applied to continue the process of lowering body temperature. In conclusion, an alcohol rub works to reduce fever by utilizing the process of evaporation. The alcohol absorbs heat energy from the body during evaporation, leading to a decrease in body temperature and providing relief from fever symptoms.

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