Room temperature

Room temperature is a common term that can either denote a certain temperature to which humans are accustomed or a specific temperature. In the United Kingdom for instance, room temperature is traditionally 18°C (64°F) but is now regarded as being too cool, possibly due to the widespread use of central heating. Room temperature may otherwise be indicated by general human comfort, with the common range of 15 °C (59 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F), though people may become acclimatized 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.

Scientific use

For scientific calculations, room temperature is usually taken to be either 20 or 25 degrees Celsius (293 or 298 kelvin (K), 68 or 77 degrees Fahrenheit). For numerical convenience, 300.00 K (26.85 °C, 80.33 °F) is often used, without being specified as "room temperature". However, room temperature is not a uniformly defined scientific term, unlike Standard Temperature and Pressure, or STP, which has several slightly different definitions.

Ambient versus room temperature

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

See also

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