Now that summer temperatures have finally become seasonal, bodies cool off with the help of air conditioning, fans and warm-weather clothing. But how do consumers protect their electronics, like cell phones and mp3 players, in hot weather?

Donald Zinger, associate professor of electrical engineering, said his experience has shown that “modern electronic devices are pretty good at handling extremes in temperature.”

Zinger said, though, that there are several ways extreme temperatures may affect electronics, cold being less severe than heat.

“Extreme cold may cause buttons to stick and power to be used more quickly,” he said. “Extreme high temperatures may cause some electronics not to work and may cause disk drives to lose memory.”

Kirk Duffin, associate computer science professor, also said that cold is usually not a problem for electronics.

“Some computer hobbyists will use liquid nitrogen to cool their computers with no ill effects,” said Duffin. He explained, though, that extreme heat can become a problem.

“All electronics generate heat. Getting rid of heat is one of the biggest problems an electronics designer faces. If the heat can’t be removed fast enough from the electronic device, the heat will build up and the tiny wires and structures in the device may warp or actually melt,” Duffin said.

Zinger and Duffin both advised that consumers should use common sense when taking care of their electronics. They both said to keep electronics off the dashboard of a hot car, and Duffin said even doing something as minor as putting it on the floor with a newspaper on top will keep it safe in most cases.

Duffin said that the most important precaution consumers can take is to be wary of what they electronic’s user manual says.

“There will be temperature limits of operation in there,” he said. He also advised against turning on electronics that are hot.

Jim Leon, assistant visiting computer science professor, said most devices should work “in generally warm or cold weather, but when you get above 100 degrees or below 20 for extended periods of time, you may run into problems.”