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Why is there a limit on the amount of water vapor the air can hold?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
It takes a lot of energy to turn water into water vapor. The amount of energy that the water gains to turn into water vapor begins to be transferred into the surrounding air. If the air is willing to take on more energy the water vapor condenses quicker. This is why hot air will hold more water vapor than cold air.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoSaturation is the maximum capacity of moisture that air can hold at a given time. When air becomes saturated by water vapor, humidity has reached 100%.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThe higher the temperature the more water vapor air can hold.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoit can hold alot!!
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How much weight can aluminum hold?
There is effectively no limit to the amount of weight that aluminum can hold, if you use enough aluminum.
How does the water on the outside of a cold glass get there?
There is water in the form of water vapor, sort of like steam, in the air. But, the amount of water the air can hold depends on the temperature of the air. The hotter it is the more water it can hold. But, when the air touches the side of a cold drink glass the temperature at that place drops dramatically and the air can't hold nearly as much water as it has been, so the water comes out of the air (condenses) onto the glass.
What is the substance the makes a window fog up when you breathe on it?
It's the water vapor in your breath, after it becomes liquid water. Warmer air is able to hold more water vapor than cooler air. When you breathe onto a cold surface, the air in your breath is cooled, and it can't then hold as much water vapor as it did when it was warm. So some of the vapor condenses out ... becomes water instead of vapor ... and the condensed water collects on the glass. Exactly the same process is responsible when you exhale into cold air and you "see your breath".
When saturated air is cooled what happens to its capacity to hold water vapor?
The capacity becomes smaller, and the water condenses out (the source of fog).
Why did steam come out from ice?
It's probably more appropriate to call it fog than steam. Water, called water vapor, is contained in the air, but the amount of water air can hold is determined by its temperature. The warmer the air the more water it can hold. When warmer air is cooled it may not be able to hold all its water any more. When this happens the water it can no longer hold comes out of the air. This is commonly seen in the form of water that condenses on the outside of cold drinks or on windows in winter or dew on leaves in the morning, etc. But it can also remain as visible water vapor in the air and is called fog. Clouds are really fog. What you're calling steam is fog caused by the ice cooling the air touching it below the point the air can hold all its water and the water comes out of the air becoming fog. This is the same as the fog that your breath makes in winter. Exhaled breath carries a lot of water because the body has heated the air and the lungs have added water to the heated air. When you breathe out, this water laden air contacts the cold air, is immediately cooled and can't hold the added water, so it condenses out becoming fog.
What is the amount of water vapor the air IS holding compared to the amount of water vapor that the air CAN hold at that temperature?
Relative humidity
What factor most affects the amount of water air can hold-?
Water vapor in the air compared to the amount of water vapor that air could hold at a given temperature.
What is the relationship between water vapor and humidity?
Water vapor is water is gas form. Humdity is the amount of water the air can hold. So, they're both water in the air.
How is Relative Humidity Determined?
Is the percentage of water vapor that is actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a particular temperature.
Is it true cold air can only hold a small amount of water vapor?
Yes.
What determines the amount of water that can be held in the air?
The temperature determines the amount of water vapor that can be held in the air. The warmer the air, the greater the amount of water that the air can hold.
What is a measure of the amount of water vapor that air is holding compared the amount that it can hold at a specific temperature?
relative humidity
What is the difference between relative humidity and actual humidity?
Humidity is the amount of water vapor at any given time and relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the greatest amount it can hold at that air temperature.
What does it mean for the relative humidity of an air mass to be 70?
Let's do a quick review of some facts about water vapor in air, and then we'll tackle this question. An air mass will have a given temperature and a given pressure. For air of a given temperature and pressure, only a certain amount of water vapor can be "suspended" in that air before it begins to condense and precipitate out (as rain, snow or something else). When the amount of water vapor in the air is at it maximum (for whatever temperature and pressure we cite), that air has 100% of the water vapor in it that it can hold. Any more water vapor and water will condense and precipitate out, as we stated. That's all we need to know to take on this question.When we consider the amount of water vapor in a given air mass, we use a "standard" or and "index" to relate that amount of water vapor to something "fixed" to make our measurement. The reference in this case will be the maximum amount of water vapor that an air mass can hold at that temperature and pressure (whatever they are). In the case of this question, if the relative humidity of an air mass is 70%, that air mass (whatever its temperature and pressure) is holding 70% of the water vapor that it can possibly hold. Note that term we use is relative humidity. The "amount" of humidity in an air mass that has a relative humidity of 70% is 7/10ths (70%) of the amount of water vapor that it can possibly hold altogether. We've compared the amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of vapor that it can hold.While it is true that an air mass may have this or that temperature and pressure, in any given air mass of whatever temperature and pressure, there is some maximum amount of water vapor that it can hold, and when we look at the amount of water vapor in that air mass, we compare it to that maximum amount that it can hold. That's relatively humidity, and when relative humidity reaches 100%, that air is saturated with water vapor and we can expect it to begin to precipitate out in the form of rain or another form of precipitation (depending on temperature and conditions aloft).It might help to note that warmer air and air at higher pressure can hold relatively more water vapor that cooler, less "pressurized" (less dense) air. But whatever the temperature and pressure of an air mass, there is some maximum amount of water vapor that it can hold, and we look at how much is in it, and compare that to the maximum amount, and call the comparison the relative humidity.
What does it mean for the relative humidity of an air mass to be 70 percent?
Let's do a quick review of some facts about water vapor in air, and then we'll tackle this question. An air mass will have a given temperature and a given pressure. For air of a given temperature and pressure, only a certain amount of water vapor can be "suspended" in that air before it begins to condense and precipitate out (as rain, snow or something else). When the amount of water vapor in the air is at it maximum (for whatever temperature and pressure we cite), that air has 100% of the water vapor in it that it can hold. Any more water vapor and water will condense and precipitate out, as we stated. That's all we need to know to take on this question.When we consider the amount of water vapor in a given air mass, we use a "standard" or and "index" to relate that amount of water vapor to something "fixed" to make our measurement. The reference in this case will be the maximum amount of water vapor that an air mass can hold at that temperature and pressure (whatever they are). In the case of this question, if the relative humidity of an air mass is 70%, that air mass (whatever its temperature and pressure) is holding 70% of the water vapor that it can possibly hold. Note that term we use is relative humidity. The "amount" of humidity in an air mass that has a relative humidity of 70% is 7/10ths (70%) of the amount of water vapor that it can possibly hold altogether. We've compared the amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of vapor that it can hold.While it is true that an air mass may have this or that temperature and pressure, in any given air mass of whatever temperature and pressure, there is some maximum amount of water vapor that it can hold, and when we look at the amount of water vapor in that air mass, we compare it to that maximum amount that it can hold. That's relatively humidity, and when relative humidity reaches 100%, that air is saturated with water vapor and we can expect it to begin to precipitate out in the form of rain or another form of precipitation (depending on temperature and conditions aloft).It might help to note that warmer air and air at higher pressure can hold relatively more water vapor that cooler, less "pressurized" (less dense) air. But whatever the temperature and pressure of an air mass, there is some maximum amount of water vapor that it can hold, and we look at how much is in it, and compare that to the maximum amount, and call the comparison the relative humidity.
What happens when air is humid?
Humidity (relative) is the amount of water vapor in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount that the air could hold at the given temperature; the ratio of the actual water vapor pressure to the saturation vapor pressure. So pretty much the air is moist and heavy.
What is relative humidity relative to?
The ratio of a partial pressure of water vapor in an air water mixture to the saturated vapor.
