Final answer:
The question pertains to a material or assembly's ability to limit moisture passage, relevant to osmotic pressure, water activity, solubility, vapor pressure, and selective permeability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The measure of a material or assembly's ability to limit the amount of moisture that passes through it is closely related to concepts such as osmotic pressure, water activity (aw), solubility, and vapor pressure. These factors are instrumental in understanding how substances interact with water and control their environment, affecting everything from food preservation to building materials.
A material with high selective permeability will allow certain substances to cross while excluding others, much like a semipermeable membrane in biological contexts. The relative humidity of air is determined by the vapor pressure of water, which dictates how much water vapor air can contain at a given temperature. In the context of preservation, microorganisms depend on water activity for growth, and lowering the aw through drying or adding solutes like salt or sugar can prevent spoilage.