As more occupants enter a room, relative humidity levels do what?

As more occupants enter a room, relative humidity levels do what?

• A. It increases
• B. It stays the same
• C. It decreases
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

As more occupants enter a room, relative humidity tends to rise. Relative humidity compares the amount of water vapor currently in the air to the maximum amount the air could hold at the current temperature. People add moisture to the air through breathing and perspiration, so the actual amount of water vapor in the room increases. If the room’s temperature doesn’t rise enough to offset that extra moisture, the air becomes closer to its maximum moisture capacity, and relative humidity goes up. The other ideas—staying the same or decreasing—don’t fit because there’s an additional source of water in the space when people come in, and this tends to push the humidity higher unless ventilation or cooling perfectly counteracts it. None of the above isn’t correct because there is a real, typical effect on humidity with more occupants.

As more occupants enter a room, relative humidity tends to rise. Relative humidity compares the amount of water vapor currently in the air to the maximum amount the air could hold at the current temperature. People add moisture to the air through breathing and perspiration, so the actual amount of water vapor in the room increases. If the room’s temperature doesn’t rise enough to offset that extra moisture, the air becomes closer to its maximum moisture capacity, and relative humidity goes up.

The other ideas—staying the same or decreasing—don’t fit because there’s an additional source of water in the space when people come in, and this tends to push the humidity higher unless ventilation or cooling perfectly counteracts it. None of the above isn’t correct because there is a real, typical effect on humidity with more occupants.