math geeking

[snugglekitty]

I just got a new coat. It is sixty/forty alpaca/wool.

My old coat is 100% wool. The coats are the same thickness.

Given the truism (which may or may not be correct - wikipedia doesn't seem to know) that alpaca is five times warmer than wool, and discounting other factors, how much warmer than my old coat is my new coat?



I came up with 3.4 times as warm, but I'm not positive I'm right.



Note: this is not made up. I actually do have a new coat as described above. It is much lighter than my older coat but seems quite toasty.

Comments

[leatherfish.livejournal.com]

I got the same result, FWIW.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't even try on the math, but I have an alpaca sweater that I still (bizarrely) consider new. It's my first piece of alpaca and it seems to be the insurance sweater. I've never yet been cold in it, (almost) regardless of what else I'm wearing.

(I imagine that if I omitted the coat on top in the middle of January, I might feel differently.)

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Well, it's possible. However, in looking for the warmth rating for alpaca, I did come up with the fact that apparently the comfortable temperature range for alpaca garments is 50 degrees, rather than the 30 associated with wool... so who knows?

[katkt.livejournal.com]

Your math (.6*5 + .4*1 = 3.4) is correct.

But what does it mean (quantitatively) for one coat to be 3.4 times as warm as another?

Well...

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

I guess we'll find out once it gets a little bit colder. :)

[vapidblackrose.livejournal.com]

THe math teacher agrees with the results. :)

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was hoping you would weigh in on this one. :)