ALA Lighting Specialist Practice Exam

The statement that ceiling fans cool by lowering the ambient temperature is false. Ceiling fans do not actually decrease the air temperature in a room; instead, they create a wind-chill effect that makes you feel cooler when you are in the airstream. This sensation of cooling occurs because the moving air speeds up the evaporation of sweat on your skin, allowing your body to dissipate heat more effectively. Consequently, while the air temperature remains unchanged, the body experiences a cooling sensation.

In contrast, the other statements accurately reflect the principles of how ceiling fans operate. Fans do create airflow that can help cool individuals directly, and they can also assist in warming a space by redistributing warmer air that gathers near the ceiling back down to the living area. The effect that fans have on perceived temperature can also vary based on an individual's location within the room, depending on how close they are to the airflow generated by the fan.