HUMIDITY
CE141-5
ENGR. DIGNA LORIA NOCUM, CE, SE
Humidity refers to the concentration of water vapor
present in the air. It plays a crucial role in our daily lives and
has several important effects:
[Link] Humidity: Relative humidity is a commonly used
measure. It indicates the present state of absolute humidity
relative to the maximum humidity at the same temperature.
When the relative humidity is high, the air feels wetter, and
there’s a greater likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog.
Conversely, low relative humidity makes the air feel drier.
2. Dew Point: The dew point is another related
parameter. It represents the temperature at which air
becomes saturated with water vapor, leading to dew
formation. As the temperature decreases, the dew point
also decreases.
3. Absolute Humidity: Absolute humidity is expressed as
either the mass of water vapor per volume of moist air (in
grams per cubic meter) or as the mass of water vapor per
mass of dry air (usually in grams per kilogram). It quantifies
the actual amount of water vapor present.
4. Specific Humidity: Specific humidity is the ratio of
water vapor mass to the total mass of the moist air parcel.
It provides insight into the moisture content independent
of temperature.
5. Effects on Surface Life:
For animals that rely on perspiration (sweating) to
regulate internal body temperature, high humidity impairs
heat exchange efficiency by reducing the rate of moisture
evaporation from skin surfaces. This effect can be
calculated using a heat index table or a similar humidex.
Relative humidity is a critical concept when it comes to
understanding the moisture content in the air.
1. Relative humidity (RH) measures the density of water
vapor in a given space relative to the temperature in that
same space. In other words, it tells us how close the air is to
being saturated with moisture. When RH is 100%, the air
can’t hold any more water vapor—it’s fully saturated.
2. Comparison with Absolute Humidity:
To appreciate why we need relative humidity, consider
absolute humidity. Absolute humidity simply quantifies the
amount of water vapor present in the air at any given time.
However, it doesn’t account for temperature differences.
Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air, so the same
absolute humidity level will result in higher relative
humidity in cold air and lower relative humidity in warm air.
3. Calculation:
The formula for calculating relative humidity is as follows:
[Relative Humidity} (%) = {Actual Vapor Density} divide by
{Saturation Vapor Density} times 100 ]
[Link] Vapor Density: This measures the current
water vapor (in grams per cubic meter, g/m³) in a
space.
[Link] Vapor Density: This represents the
maximum amount of moisture that the air can hold at
a specific temperature (also in g/m³).
4. Context Matters:
By combining the current humidity level with the
temperature, we gain crucial context. Warmer air has
more energy to evaporate water into vapor and retain
it as vapor, leading to lower relative humidity.
Conversely, colder air tends to be wetter, resulting in
higher relative humidity.
5. Why It Matters:
[Link] and Comfort: Maintaining an appropriate
relative humidity level is essential for our well-
being. Extremely high or low humidity can impact
respiratory health, skin comfort, and overall
comfort.
2. Weather and Climate:
Relative humidity plays a role in weather patterns, cloud
formation, and precipitation.
3. Industries and Products:
Industries such as agriculture, construction, and
manufacturing rely on humidity control. Additionally,
products like electronics, musical instruments, and
artwork are sensitive to humidity fluctuations.
The dew point represents the temperature at which a
given volume of air becomes saturated with water
vapor. In other words, it’s the point at which the air
can’t hold any more moisture, and condensation
occurs. When the air cools below the dew point,
airborne water vapor condenses into liquid water—
commonly seen as dew on surfaces.
Factors Affecting Dew Point:
1. Pressure: The dew point depends on the air’s
pressure. Different pressures yield different dew
points.
2. Water Content: The more moisture the air
contains, the higher its dew point.
3. Cooling: When air cools, its moisture capacity
decreases. If it cools below the dew point,
condensation occurs.
Frost Point: When the temperature drops below the
freezing point of water, the dew point is called the
frost point. Frost point via deposition (direct
transition from vapor to solid) rather than
condensation.
The dew point is closely related to relative humidity. RH
measures how close the air is to being saturated with
moisture. If all other factors remain constant, the dew
point temperature won’t exceed the air temperature. At
the dew point, water vapor condenses at the same rate
as it evaporates.
Absolute humidity refers to the exact quantity of water
vapor or moisture present in a given volume of air,
regardless of the air’s temperature. It is a fundamental
measure of the actual water content in the atmosphere.
[Link] and Measurement:
[Link] humidity is typically expressed in grams per
cubic meter (g/m³).
[Link] relative humidity (which considers
temperature), absolute humidity focuses solely on the
mass of water vapor.
Calculation:
[Link] calculate absolute humidity, we need to know
the mass of water vapor in a specific volume of air.
[Link], it can be represented as:
AH = Pₐ/ (Rw × T) in kg/cu.m.
Pa - actual vapor pressure (pa)
T – air absolute temperature (K)
Rw = 461.5 J / kg K (specific gas
constant for water vapor)
Variation with Temperature:
[Link] humidity remains constant as long as the
amount of water vapor doesn’t change.
However, when air temperature changes, the volume
of air (and thus the denominator in the formula) also
changes. Consequently, absolute humidity can vary
with temperature fluctuations.
Comparison with Relative Humidity:
[Link] relative humidity, which considers both the
actual water vapor content and the air’s capacity to
hold moisture at a specific temperature, absolute
humidity disregards temperature.
[Link], two air samples with the same absolute
humidity but different temperatures will have different
relative humidities.
Real-World Significance:
Absolute humidity plays a role in various contexts:
[Link] and Comfort: High absolute humidity can
make the air feel muggy and uncomfortable.
[Link] and Climate: Absolute humidity affects
cloud formation, precipitation, and storm potential.
[Link]: Industries like agriculture, construction,
and manufacturing monitor absolute humidity for
various purposes.
Specific humidity refers to the mass of water vapor
contained in a unit mass of moist air. It is typically
expressed in grams of vapor per kilogram of air or, in air
conditioning, as grains per pound. Here are some key
points about specific humidity:
[Link] humidity is an essential quantity in
meteorology. For instance, the rate of water
evaporation from any surface is directly proportional
to the specific humidity difference between the
surface and the surrounding air.
[Link] other humidity indices, specific humidity
remains stable even as the temperature or pressure of
3. This stability makes specific humidity useful as an
identifying property of a moving air mass.
Temperature Dependence:
The specific humidity of saturated air (i.e., air in
equilibrium with a vapor source, either water or ice)
increases rapidly with rising temperature.
Comparison with Other Humidity Measures:
•Specific humidity is related to other humidity measures:
• Mixing Ratio
: The specific humidity is approximately equal to the mi
xing ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the mass of
water vapor in an air parcel to the mass of dry air for t
he same parcel
1
.
• Relative Humidity
: Unlike relative humidity, which varies with temperatur
e and pressure, specific humidity remains constant as l
The heat index (also known as the apparent
temperature) is a measure of how hot it feels when both
air temperature and humidity are taken into account. It
helps us understand the combined impact of heat and
moisture on our comfort. Here are some key points about
the heat index:
Definition and Calculation:
The heat index is calculated based on the air
temperature (in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit) and the
relative humidity.
The formula for calculating the heat index is as follows:
Heat Index=c1+c2T+c3R+c4TR+c5T2+c6R2+c7T2R+c8
TR2+c9T2R2
•where: (T) represents the air temperature in degrees
Celsius or in Fahrenheit.
•(R) represents the relative humidity (expressed as a
percentage).
•The coefficients (c_1) through (c_9) are constants
specific to the units used (either Celsius or Fahrenheit).
Interpretation:
The heat index provides an estimate of how hot it feels
to our bodies.
Higher heat index values indicate more uncomfortable
conditions.
Extreme heat index values can pose health risks,
especially during heatwaves.
Heat Index Categories:
The National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States
categorizes heat index values as follows:
[Link]: 27°C to 32°C (80°F to 89°F)
2. Extreme Caution: 33°C to 41°C (90°F to 105°F)
3. Danger: 42°C to 51°C (106°F to 124°F)
4. Extreme Danger: 52°C or higher (125°F or higher)1.
Real-Time Heat Index Data:
We
can find real-time heat index information from autom
ated weather stations on the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administratio
n (PAGASA) website
2
.
The heat index values are updated regularly and can
help you stay informed about current conditions.