If a person had a hypothetical temperature of 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit, assuming they suffered no ill effects, would they be able to hurt someone? I.e., would they be able to burn someone?
First off, that would start melting their brain and they would die. But assuming this is fantasy, no, that temperature is far too low to burn anything. Maybe it will give you a red mark on your skin, and it may hurt a bit, but it's not even in the scalding temperature range.
I dunno. But on a side note, when people have high fevers, it causes proteins (like hemoglobin) to denature (their hydrogen bonds break, and they lose their specific, 3D shape). When this happens, the shape change makes them lose their physiological function, and causes all sorts of issues, like hemoglobin, for example, not being able to bind oxygen. That's why high fevers are such a serious issue.
People live in areas where 120 degrees is not uncommon, so no. Also, the core temperature and the skin temperature are different. I think the average skin temperature is around 90. Also also, in order to burn someone, you have to not simply be hot, but also transfer heat from one object to the other. Since skin is largely an insulator, that's difficult. You know how if you open the oven while you are cooking something, you're blasted with hot air? That air can probably be like 180 degrees, it feels hot, but unless you keep your hand there for a while, it's not going to burn you, while if you touch something metal that's the same temperature, you'll be scalded almost instantly.
