Will Boiling Water Create Humidity?

[pandaexpress]

Is this a way to "humidify" your house? Will boiling water create humidity?

 

[jfizzix]

Boiling water will put water vapor into the air, increasing the relative humidity of the air.

 

[russ_watters]

Yes, that's how most humidifiers work.

Now, a different question would be: how much humidity would boiling a pot of water on the stove add to your house? Answer: not much unless your house is really small.

 

[Borek]

Anything wet and drying out will to some extent increase humidity (as Russ pointed out, effect depends on the amount of water and the internal volume of the house). Even drying your laundry inside can help. Plants in pots help too. Eons ago I had a simple humidifier - basically a water tank with wet wicks sticking out, made in such a way it could be hung on the cast iron household radiator.

 

[phinds]

Is this a way to "humidify" your house? Will boiling water create humidity?

Just as an aside to the excellent answers already given, please keep in mind that in science, careful language in asking a question can be very important. Your question as stated ignores the precise meaning of the word "humildity" and uses a careless English language meaning of something like "detectable moisture". There is ALWAYS humidity, everywhere. The question is just, "how much", which is why jixxizix said "increasing" not "creating". His post, by the way, is also somewhat careless in that he states that it "increases the relative humidity", which is correct but it would be even more correct to say that it "increases the humidity", meaning that it increases the relative humidity AND the absolute humidity.

All of this assumes that your house is not already at 100% relatively humidity. If it were (and it would be abnormal if it were) boiling water would just increase the amount of condensation on your walls.

 

[Dadface]

What is the precise meaning of the word "humildity"

 

[Borek]

It is humidity high enough to humiliate.

 

[phinds]

It is humidity high enough to humiliate.

 

[pandaexpress]

Thanks everyone! I understand now. :D

If you guys don't mind a follow-up question:

Why do little drops of water evaporate like in the shower or on a counter in homes, but if you place a whole cup of water out it doesn't seem to evaporate at the same rate? I have left a cup of water out for like a month and nothing seemed to happen.

 

[Borek]

Assume having a cup of water. What is the surface of water (the one in free contact with air, at which the evaporation takes place) in a cup, and in a zillion droplets? Which one is larger?

 

[Lowedown]

It is humidity high enough to humiliate.

Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air relative to the amount of moisture the air can hold at a given temperature. Hot air can hold more moisture, cold air less. Relative humility is how humble you are at a given temp and humidity level. Some people sweat more and lose their humility when overheated and sweaty.