relative humidity Flashcards
what is relative humidity
measure of the actual amount of water vapour in the air compared to the actual amount of water vapour the air can hold at its current temp
what is absolute humidity
actual amount of water vapour the air can hold at a given temp
relationship between temperature and RH
-when temp increase, air expands, ability to hold water vapour increase
-with same amount of moisture in the air, RH decrease
key terms for RH
-when air holds maximum amount of water vaopur, air is saturated
-saturation occurs when RH is at 100% (dew point temperature)
why is it humid in the tropics
-receive large amounts of solar radiation which increase rate of evaporation
-nearby oceans/lakes facilitate evaporation
-presence of forests and evapotranspiration increase humidity
