Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.

 WATER VAPOR is the gaseous state of water
and is invisible. Humidity indicates the likelihood of
precipitation, dew, or fog. Higher humidity reduces
the effectiveness of sweating in cooling the body by
reducing the rate of evaporation of moisture from the
skin. This effect is calculated in a heat index table or
humidex. The amount of water vapor that is needed
to achieve saturation decreases as the temperature
increases. As the temperature of a parcel of water
becomes lower it will eventually will not reach the
point of saturation without adding or losing water
mass. The differences in the amount of water vapor
in a parcel of air can be quite large, for example; A
parcel of air that is near saturation may contain 28
grams of water per cubic meter of air at 30 °C, but
only 8 grams of water per cubic meter of air at 8 °C.
Humidex
The humidex (short for humidity index) is
an index number used by
Canadian meteorologists to describe how hot the
weather feels to the average person, by combining
the effect of heat and humidity. The term humidex is
a Canadian innovation and was first coined in
1965. The humidex is a dimensionless quantity based
on the dew point.

Range of humidex: Degree of comfort:

20 to 29: Little to no discomfort
30 to 39: Some discomfort
40 to 45: Great discomfort; avoid exertion
Above 45: Dangerous; heat stroke quite possible
Three Main
Measurements
of Humidity
Absolute Humidity
Absolute humidity is the total mass of
water vapor present in a given volume of
air. It does not take temperature into
consideration. Absolute humidity in the
atmosphere ranges from near zero to
roughly 30 grams per cubic meter when the
air is saturated at 30 °C (86 °F).
Absolute humidity is the mass of the water
vapor mH2O, divided by the volume of the
air and water vapor mixture Vnet, which
can be expressed as:
 The absolute humidity changes as air temperature
or pressure changes. This makes it unsuitable for chemical
engineering calculations, e.g. for clothes dryers, where
temperature can vary considerably. As a result, absolute
humidity in chemical engineering may refer to mass of
water vapor per unit mass of dry air, also known as the
mass mixing ratio (see "specific humidity" below), which is
better suited for heat and mass balance calculations. Mass
of water per unit volume as in the equation above is also
defined as volumetric humidity. Because of the potential
confusion, British Standard BS 1339 (revised 2002)
suggests avoiding the term "absolute humidity". Units
should always be carefully checked. Many humidity charts
are given in g/kg or kg/kg, but any mass units may be used.
The field concerned with the study of physical and
thermodynamic properties of gas–vapor mixtures is
named psychrometrics.
Relative Humidity
The relative humidity RH or phi of an air-
water mixture is defined as the ratio of
the partial pressure of water vapor
pH2O in the mixture to the equilibrium
vapor pressure of water pH2O* over a flat
surface of pure water at a given
temperature:
 Relative humidity is normally expressed
as a percentage; a higher percentage means
that the air-water mixture is more humid.
Relative humidity is an
important metric used in weather
forecasts and reports, as it is an indicator of
the likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. In
hot summer weather, a rise in relative
humidity increases the apparent
temperature to humans (and other animals) by
hindering the evaporation of perspiration from
the skin. For example, according to the Heat
Index, a relative humidity of 75% at air
temperature of 80.0 °F (26.7 °C) would feel
like 83.6 °F ±1.3 °F (28.7 °C ±0.7 °C).
Specific Humidity
Specific humidity (or moisture content) is the ratio
of water vapor mass (mv) to the air parcel's total (i.e.,
including dry) mass. Specific humidity is approximately
equal to the "mixing ratio", which is defined as the ratio
of the mass of water vapor in an air parcel to the mass
of dry air for the same parcel. As temperature
decreases, the amount of water vapor needed to reach
saturation also decreases. As the temperature of a
parcel of air becomes lower it will eventually reach the
point of saturation without adding or losing water mass.
The differences in the amount of water vapor in a
parcel of air can be quite large, for example; A parcel of
air that is near saturation may contain 28 grams of
water per cubic meter of air at 30 °C, but only 8 grams
of water per cubic meter of air at 8 °C.
Specific Humidity is defined as:

Specific humidity can be expressed in other ways

including:

or:
Using this definition of specific humidity, the
relative humidity can be expressed as

However, specific humidity is also defined as

the ratio of water vapor to the total mass of
the system (dry air plus water vapor).
Devices Used To
Measure and
Regulate
Humidity
Hygrometer
A HYGROMETER /haɪˈɡrɒmᵻtər/ is an
instrument used for measuring the moisture
content in the atmosphere. Humidity measurement
instruments usually rely on measurements of some
other quantity such as temperature, pressure, mass
or a mechanical or electrical change in a substance
as moisture is absorbed. By calibration and
calculation, these measured quantities can lead to a
measurement of humidity. Modern electronic
devices use temperature of condensation (the dew
point), or changes in
electrical capacitance or resistance to measure
humidity differences. The first crude hygrometer
was invented by Leonardo da Vinci in 1480 and a
more modern version was created
by polymath Johann Heinrich Lambert in 1755.
Satellites
Satellites are able to detect
the concentration of water in
the troposphere at altitudes between 4 and 12
kilometers. Satellites that can measure water
vapor have sensors that are sensitive
to infrared radiation. Water vapor specifically
absorbs and re-radiates radiation in this
spectral band. Satellite water vapor imagery
plays an important role in monitoring climate
conditions (like the formation of
thunderstorms) and in the development
of weather forecasts.
Humidistat
An electronic device analogous to a thermostat but
which responds to relative humidity, not temperature.
Humidistats are used in a number of devices
including dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and microwave ovens.
In humidifiers and dehumidifiers the humidistat is used
where constant relative humidity conditions need to be
maintained such as a refrigerator, greenhouse, or climate
controlled warehouse. When adjusting the controls in
these applications the humidistat would be what is being
set. In microwaves they are used in conjunction with
"smart cooking" 1-button features such as those
for microwave popcorn. Humidistats
employ hygrometers but are not the same. A humidistat
has the functionality of a switch and is not just
a measuring instrument like a hygrometer is. For Heating
Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) of buildings,
humidistats or humidity sensors are used to sense the air
relative humidity in the controlled space and turn on and
off the HVAC equipment.
Factors that Affect Relative Humidity
1. Amount of water: If you increase
the amount of water in the air
(by adding it due to evaporation),
Relative humidity will go up.
2. Temperature: Since warm air can
hold more water than cold air, if you
lower the temperature the Relative
Humidity will go up, even if you don’t add
more water.
8 THINGS YOU DIDN’T
KNOW ABOUT
HUMIDITY
1. Fifty percent humidity is a sponge half full.
Humidity describes the amount of water vapor or water molecules in the air.
Weather scientists use the term “relative humidity,” which Joe Sobel, a meteorologist and
senior vice president at Accuweather described as “a comparison of the amount of
moisture in the air versus the amount of moisture the air could hold.”
Think of the atmosphere as a sponge that can hold a fixed amount of water, let’s
say a gallon of water. “If there is no water in the sponge… then the relative humidity
would be zero,” Sobel said. Saturate the sponge with half a gallon of water – half of what it
is capable of holding – and that relative humidity climbs to 50 percent.
“The amount of moisture that the atmosphere can hold relates directly depends
on the temperature,” Sobel said. Think of a rise in temperature like an increase in sponge
size. A sponge that is half saturated with water is at 50 percent humidity. Now, increase
the size of the sponge without adding more water. The relative humidity decreases
because the bigger sponge is capable of taking on more moisture, but the same amount of
water remains.
Soaking a sponge with more water than it can hold would cause it to drip. But
this dripping doesn’t always symbolize rainfall. The relative humidity measured on the
ground (where the sponge is) doesn’t reflect moisture levels miles above in the sky. Rain
occurs when the rising air can no longer hold the water droplets that have formed clouds
high in the sky. (Clouds can form closer to the ground too — that’s fog). The temperature
and atmospheric pressure changes as you ascend into the sky — the air gets colder and
thinner. So 100 percent humidity might not mean rain, but it does mean dew.
2. What’s the deal with dew?
Dew occurs when the relative humidity reaches
100 percent.
“Dew point temperature is an absolute
measure of the amount of water vapor in the air,”
Sobel said. If you have a dew point temperature of 65,
that means that the outside temperature must
decrease to 65 degrees before dew, or water, will
form on your lawn. And if the temperature outside is
65 and the dew point is 65, then the relative humidity
is 100 percent.
Dew point temperature is a good indicator of
how comfortable or how uncomfortable you might
feel, Sobel said. But we don’t hear about it on the
Weather Channel. It does, however, get calculated into
the “RealFeel” temperature along with other factors
like wind, cloud cover and the angle of the sun.
3. Saudi Arabia has the highest recorded dew
point temperature.
Humidity comes from water evaporating from
lakes and oceans. Warmer water evaporates more
quickly – that’s why you find the most humid
regions closer to warm bodies of water, like the
Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and Miami. The highest
dew point temperature ever recorded was 95 in
July 2003, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. In the US, the
midwest and Mississippi have recorded dew point
temperatures above 80. For example, Pipestone and
St. James, Minnesota reported a humidity reading of
86 in 2005.
Wind can carry moisture in the air pretty far.
“We typically get air masses in the summer that
originated from the Gulf of Mexico, into the middle
Atlantic regions,” Sobel said.
4. New York stinks in the summer, and
we can thank humidity for that.
Scientists in this 2008 study confirmed
what many city dwellers already know —
people are better at detecting smells in a
humid environment. In heat and high humidity,
there are more water molecules in the air to
bind and carry odorous particles into our
nose. Trash still smells in the winter, but the
cold, dry air limits how far the stench can
travel. This may also be what accounts for the
dirty dog smell. As water molecules evaporate
from soggy dog fur, they carry with them
smelly bacteria.
5. Humidity brought us tonal language.

Distribution of tonal languages (red dots) and non-tonal

languages (blue dots) in the Phonotactics Database of the
Australian National University. Darker shading on the map
corresponds to lower average humidity. Photo by Everett C. et
al. PNAS 2015.
Our vocal cords are comprised of a pair of mucus
membranes that stretch across the voice box, or larynx.
They vibrate, controlling the air from the lungs that flows
by as we speak or sing. The level of moisture in the air
affects the elasticity of our vocal cords. Singers can tell
you that it is harder to carry a tune in a dry environment.
We’ve known for decades that you are more likely
to be on pitch in humid environments. More recently,
researchers theorized that speech was one of many
human behaviors adapted to fit environment. After looking
at more than 3,700 languages, they discovered that tonal
languages, like Chinese and Vietnamese, rarely
developed in dry climates.
6. Once upon a time, people measured humidity with hair curls.
In 1783, Horace Bénédict de Saussure built the first hygrometer, a device to measure
humidity, and he built it with… hair. To understand how it worked, you need to know a thing or
two about hair.
A single strand of hair has many layers. The inner layer is filled with proteins called
keratins that bind to each other, giving shape to your luscious locks. These proteins bind by
forming tough disulfide bonds or weaker hydrogen bonds. You can thank hydrogen bonds for the
funny way your hair dries naturally after getting out of the shower. Water molecules (two
hydrogens and an oxygen) are soaked up by your hair and act as a bridge linking keratin
molecules together in place. These hydrogen bonds keep your hair fixed in shape until you wet
it again, allowing new hydrogen bonds to form.
In high humidity, water molecules in the air find their way into straight strands. As
hydrogen bonds connect keratin proteins, hair starts to fold back on itself and curl. Frizzy fly
aways occur when hair folds back enough to break the cuticle – or the outer layer of hair that
looks like dragon scales under a microscope. The drier the hair, the more likely it is to soak up
moisture in the atmosphere. So damaged hair – scorched by curling irons or parched from over
shampooing – is often treated with moisturizing salon products.
Enter hygrometer. Saussure attached one end of a 10-inch piece of human hair to a
screw. The rest of the strand he maneuvered through a pulley and attached to a weight. As the
hair took on moisture, the strand curled and shortened moving the pulley and lifting the weight.
Saussure could then calculate how much humidity was in the air based on how much the weight
moved. The hair hygrometer can be made more sensitive by dipping the hair in alcohol and
removing any oils that might prevent the strand from soaking up moisture.
7.With exercise and humidity — don’t overdew it.
Even professional summer athletes have to adjust for changes in
humidity. A baseball pitch can change position by an eighth of an inch
for every 20 percent drop in relative humidity. That might seem like a
small amount to the average person, but for a major league player, that
could be the difference between a fly ball and a grand slam. In 2002, the
Colorado Rockies started storing their baseballs in humidors to keep
them wetter and bouncier. Homeruns are more frequent at high
altitude venues that get little humidity, like Coorers Field. But storing
the balls in humidors helped decrease homeruns by roughly 25 percent,
said Alan Nathan, a physics professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign.
An important note about exercising in high humidity: it’s
dangerous. “The higher the dew point, the less effectively you are going
to cool after exercising,” Sobel said. And if you can’t cool yourself, your
body can reach fatal temperatures.
Here’s why. When we exercise in hot temperatures, our bodies
sweat to cool down. In dry air, the sweat evaporates quickly. But in
humidity, sweat doesn’t evaporate as fast, and your body sweats more
in an effort to keep cool. All that sweating dehydrates your body,
leading you to overheat.
In the summer, our bodies actually take on extra water
weight to account for the extra sweating.
8. Humidity is for the bugs, especially the moths.
A hawkmoth (Manduca Sexta) drinking nectar from a
Datura Flower in Madera Canyon, Arizona. Professor Goggy
Davidowitz’s lab at the University of Arizona studies how these
moths can sense changes in humidity, which help them detect
flowers with lots of nectar.
When it comes to wet heat in the insect world, it’s
the little guy that thrives. Goggy Davidowitz, an
entomologist at the University of Arizona explains that
smaller bugs are more likely to dehydrate because they
have a larger surface area relative to their whole body size.
Because most bugs are small, and humidity increases
survivorship, insects seek moist climates, Davidowitz said.
Moths make the most of moist climates. Davidowitz’s
lab studies hawkmoths (Manduca Sexta). These insects can
detect a 4 percent difference in humidity by sensing
changes in flower nectar evaporation. Increases in
humidity help these moths detect which flowers are high in
nectar.
GROUP 6

 Manaog, Espencer John

 Molina, Wilson
 Milla, Sharmaine
 Naldo, Jovelyn

Avisala Eshma !!!