room temperature

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Room temperature is a common term to denote a certain temperature within enclosed space at which humans are accustomed. Room temperature is thus often indicated by general human comfort, with the common range of 20°c (68°F) to 25°C (77°F),^{[citation needed]} though climate may acclimatize people to higher or lower temperatures.

The term can also refer to a temperature of food to be consumed, which is placed in such a room for a given time. Furthermore, it may refer to a certain temperature within settings of scientific experiments and calculations.

For human comfort, desirable room temperature greatly depends on individual needs^{[citation needed]} and various other factors. A study carried out at the Uppsala University, on indoor air quality and subjective indoor air quality (SIAQ) in primary schools, states that perception of high room temperature was related to a poor climate of cooperation. To achieve a good SIAQ, it recommends room temperature should be at a maximum of 25.0°C (77.0°F).^[1]

Scientific use

For scientific calculations, room temperature is often taken to be 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, or 293 to 298 kelvin (K), or 68 to 77 degrees Farenheit, with an average of about 21°C (70°F).^{[citation needed]} For numerical convenience, 300K (27°C, 80°F) is often used.^{[citation needed]} However, room temperature is not a precisely defined scientific term as opposed to Standard Temperature and Pressure, which has several, slightly different, definitions.

According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), "Room temperature shall be considered to be 50 to 100°F [10 to 38°C] unless otherwise specified."

Ambient versus room temperature

"Room temperature" implies a temperature inside a building. "Ambient temperature" simply means "the temperature of the surroundings", and will be the same as room temperature indoors. In many languages, for example Spanish, there is an expression for "ambient temperature", but no distinct one for "room temperature".

See also

• Ambient food
• Psychrometrics, the study of moist air
• Standard temperature and pressure (STP)

References

1. ^ Dan Norbäck (1995) Subjective Indoor Air Quality in Schools - The Influence of High Room Temperature, Carpeting, Fleecy Wall Materials and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Indoor Air 5(4), 237-246.