Inside Car Temperature Calculator

This innovative car temperature calculator allows you to determine the temperature in the interior of a car that is parked in direct sunlight. It demonstrates the speed at which the interior temperature of a car can increase; something that is not only a concern during summer but throughout the year.

How to use the inside car temperature calculator:

  1. Select the unit of measurement. You can choose between degrees Celsius or degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Input the outside air temperature.
  3. Input the amount of time, in minutes, that the car has been parked in those conditions.
  4. Click on the "Calculate" button to compute the temperature inside the car.
Inside Car Temperature Calculator

°F

minutes

Explanation

Scholars at the Stanford University School of Medicine performed a study in which they investigated the rate at which the interior temperature of a parked car increased during sunny days of temperatures between 72 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

Their findings demonstrated that the temperature inside a car can increase by 40 degrees Fahrenheit on average over the course of 60 minutes, irrespective of the ambient temperature. The researchers also found that 80% of the observed increase in temperature occurred during the first thirty minutes.

The findings of the study also demonstrated that the sun warms a parked car on cooler days in the same way it warms a greenhouse in winter. Even when the exterior conditions were relatively cool, the temperature inside a parked car can rapidly increase to dangerous levels if the sun is shining directly on the car. This was attributed to the fact that the air is trapped in the car under the glass and is subsequently heated by the sun. Taking precautions, such as leaving the window slightly open or operating the air conditioner before parking the car, may not be sufficient. Any individual who is unable to exit an enclosed vehicle could be at risk of death if left unattended in a car that is parked in direct sunlight, even if he or she is only left alone for a relatively short amount of time.

The color of a car does not have a significant impact on the extent to which the interior temperature increases when the car is parked in direct sunlight. The temperature inside a car increases in the sun as a result of the greenhouse effect. However, the interior color of the car may have an impact on the internal temperature because darker internal surfaces absorb marginally more solar energy than light surfaces.

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