Topic: Relative Humidity

 Water vapour and air pressure:

💧 Vapour Pressure
 Definition: Vapour pressure is the partial pressure exerted specifically by water
molecules H 2 O in a gaseous state) within a given volume of air.
 Source: It is produced by the movement and collisions of water vapor molecules that
have evaporated from a liquid source (like oceans, rivers, soil, etc.).
 Variability: Vapour pressure is highly variable and depends primarily on temperature.
Warmer air can hold more water vapor, so saturation vapour pressure increases
exponentially with temperature.
 Importance: When the vapour pressure equals the saturation vapour pressure, the air is
saturated, and water will begin to condense (form clouds, fog, or dew).

💨 Air Pressure (Atmospheric Pressure)

 Definition: Air pressure (or Atmospheric Pressure) is the total pressure exerted by the
entire column of air above a given point on Earth's surface. It is the sum of the pressures
of all the gases in the atmosphere.
 Composition: According to Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, the total atmospheric
pressure PTotal is the sum of the partial pressures of all its constituent gases:
PTotal =P N + PO + P Ar + PWater Vapour + …. .
2 2

 Contribution of Water Vapour: Water vapor is one of the component gases, so its
partial pressure (PWater Vapour ) contributes to the total air pressure.

Relationship to Total
Concept What It Measures
Pressure

The pressure from water vapor A component of the total

Vapour Pressure
molecules only. atmospheric pressure.

The pressure from all gas

The sum of all the partial
Air Pressure molecules (Nitrogen, Oxygen,
pressures in the atmosphere.
Water Vapor, etc.).

 Vapour vs Gas:
Vapour → remain liquid or gas at room temperature (due to evaporaion)
Gas → remain gas at room temperature
To change, gas to liquid form  Temperature Change is a must.
(Which is not necessary for vapour.)

 Saturated & Unsaturated Vapour Pressure: Vapour pressure are two types.

Comparison
Saturated Vapour Pressure Unsaturated Vapour Pressure
Point

The pressure exerted by the The pressure exerted by the

vapour when it is in dynamic vapour when its density is
1. Definition equilibrium with its liquid phase insufficient to achieve liquid-
in a closed container at a specific vapour equilibrium; the space can
temperature. hold more vapour.

The rate of evaporation and the

The rate of evaporation is greater
rate of condensation are equal,
2. Equilibrium than the rate of condensation. No
resulting in dynamic
equilibrium exists yet.
equilibrium.

It is dependent only on It is dependent on both

3. Dependence temperature. It increases with temperature and volume. The
on Variables temperature, regardless of the pressure changes when either is
volume or amount of vapour. varied.

The vapour exists at its The vapour density is less than

4. Density maximum density for that the maximum density for that
specific temperature. temperature.

It approximately follows the

5. Adherence to It does not follow the Ideal Gas
Ideal Gas Law up to a certain
Laws Law.
limit.

The vapour easily condenses It requires significant cooling or

6. Condensation upon slight cooling or increased pressure increase to start
pressure. condensation.

The pressure of water vapour in The pressure of water vapour in

7. Example air that has reached its Dew low-humidity air at room
Point. temperature.
Topic Description & Details Key Formulas / Relationships

Humidity is the measure of the

amount of water vapour (gaseous
1. Definition state of water) present in the air. It N/A
indicates the likelihood of
precipitation, dew, or fog.

2. Types of i. Absolute Humidity: The actual Mass vapour

Humidity mass of water vapour present in a Absolute: AH =
Volume air
unit volume of air. It changes if air
expands or compresses. (Unit: g m−3 )

Massvapour
Specific: S H=
MassTotal air

ii. Specific Humidity: The mass (Unit:g/g or g/kg or no unit)

of water vapour per unit mass of
total air. It remains constant even Relative: R H =R
if air pressure changes (useful in
meteorology). m
¿ ×100 %
M

f
¿ × 100 %
F

iii. Relative Humidity (RH): The ρf

ratio of the actual amount of water ¿ ×100 %
ρF
vapour in the air to the maximum
amount it can hold at that (Unit: no unit just %)
temperature. Expressed as a
percentage (%).  m = Mass of water vapour
present in the air at a specific
temperature
 M = Mass of maximum or
saturated water vapour at a
specific temperature
 f = Pressure of water vapour
present at a specific
temperature / air temperature
 F = Pressure of maximum or
saturated water vapour at a
specific temperature
 ρ f = Density of water vapour
present at a specific
Topic Description & Details Key Formulas / Relationships

temperature
 ρ F = Density of saturated
water vapour at a specific
temperature

Humidity depends on several

factors:
• Water Availability: Proximity to
oceans, lakes, and vegetation
• Higher evaporation rates =
(transpiration).
Higher humidity input.
3. • Temperature: Determines the
Dependency air's capacity to hold water.
(Factors)
• Air Pressure: Affects the
• Higher temperature = Higher
expansion/compression of air
water-holding capacity.
parcels.

• Wind: Moves moist or dry air

masses from one region to another.

• Diurnal (Daily): RH is typically

highest at dawn (coolest time) and
lowest in the afternoon (warmest
time).
Altitude Rule: Water vapour
• Latitudinal: Generally higher
content decreases rapidly with
4. Variability near the equator (tropics) and
height; ~50% of atmospheric water
lower near the poles and deserts.
is found below 2 km altitude.
• Altitudinal: Humidity generally
decreases with altitude because the
atmosphere becomes thinner and
colder.

5. Change Temperature and Relative Capacity Rule: The saturation

with Humidity (RH) have an inverse vapour pressure increases
Temperature relationship (assuming water exponentially with temperature
content stays constant). (Clausius-Clapeyron relation).

• When Air Warms: Its capacity

to hold water increases, so the RH
decreases (air feels drier). Temp ↑ ⟹ RH ↓
 Topic Description & Details Key Formulas / Relationships

• When Air Cools: Its capacity to

hold water decreases, so the RH
increases (air feels damper).

The point at which air cannot hold

any more water vapour at a given Dew Point: The temperature to
6. Saturation
temperature. If air cools past this which air must be cooled to reach
Point
point, condensation (rain/dew) 100% Relative Humidity.
occurs.

Dew Point:

🌡️What is Dew Point?

Think of Dew Point as the "Saturation Temperature."

It is the specific temperature to which air must be cooled for it to become completely full
(saturated) with water vapour. If the air cools down below this point, it can no longer hold all
that water as gas, so the excess turns into liquid water (dew, fog, or condensation).

🥤 The Best Example: A Cold Glass of Water

Imagine you put a glass of ice water on a table on a hot day. After a few minutes, the outside of
the glass gets wet ("sweats").

Why?

1. The air around the glass is warm and holds invisible water vapor.
2. The cold glass cools that air down rapidly.
3. Cold air cannot hold as much water as warm air.
4. The air gets too cold to hold the water, so it "drops" it onto the glass.

That exact temperature where the air gave up and dropped the water is the Dew Point.

Example What is happening?

1. Sweating You take a cold soda can out of the fridge. The air touching the cold metal
Soda Can surface cools down rapidly. When the air near the can hits its dew point,
 Example What is happening?

it dumps its water onto the can as droplets.

2. Morning Overnight, the ground cools down. If the temperature drops below the
Dew dew point, the air near the grass deposits its excess water as "dew" drops.

You walk from the cold outdoors into a warm, humid room. Your glasses
3. Foggy
are cold. The warm indoor air touches your cold lenses, cools to its dew
Glasses
point, and forms fog on the glass.

🆚 Dew Point vs. Relative Humidity (Why Dew Point Matters)

Meteorologists often prefer Dew Point over Relative Humidity (RH) to tell you how "muggy"
or uncomfortable it feels outside.

 Relative Humidity can be misleading. (50% humidity at 30 ℃ feels very sticky, but
50% humidity at 10 ℃ feels dry).
 Dew Point is an absolute measure. It tells you exactly how much water is in the air,
regardless of the current temperature.

🥵 The "Muggy" Meter (Comfort Scale):

Dew Point
How it Feels
Temperature

Less than 15℃ Comfortable / Dry (Sweat evaporates easily)

16 ℃−21℃ Sticky / Muggy (You start to feel damp)

Oppressive / Uncomfortable (Sweat doesn't evaporate; very

More than 21℃
gross)
 Room Room Room Room Room
30 ℃ 25 ℃ 20℃ 15 ℃ 14 ℃
m=30 gm m=30 gm m=30 gm m=30 gm m=30 gm
M =50 gm M =4 0 gm M =35 gm M =3 0 gm M =28 gm

Saturated
Vapour
Unsaturated (f ¿ F)
Unsaturated Unsaturated
Vapour
Vapour Vapour m
(f < F) R= × 100 % Saturated Vapour
(f < F) (f < F) M
m (f > F)
m R= × 100 % m
R= × 100 % M R= × 100 % Extra
M M 30
¿ ×100 % ( 30−28 ) gm
30 30
30 ¿ ×100 % 30 ¿ 2 gm
¿ ×100 % 40 ¿ ×100 % vapour will condense
50 35
and turn into dew
¿ 10 0 %
¿ 60 % ¿ 86.7 %
¿ 75 %
Dew point
¿ 15 ℃

 It is observed here that as the room temperature decreases, the water vapour holding
capacity of the room decreases. Consequently, if the amount of water vapour present remains
constant, the relative humidity increases.

 Even though the temperature (T) changes, the actual water vapour present (m/f) remains
unchanged.

 As the temperature (T↓) decreases, the maximum water vapour holding capacity or the
amount of saturated water vapour (M/F↓) decreases.

 Saturated vapour pressure at the dew point temperature = Pressure of water vapour
present in the room = f

Dependency of Dew Point:

 Room Room Room Room Dew Point =
30 ℃ 25 ℃ 20 ℃ 15 ℃ 15 ℃
m=30 gm m=30 gm m=30 gm m=30 gm When, m/f = 30 gm
M =50 gm M =40 gm M =35 gm M =30 gm

Room
Room Room Dew Point =
25 ℃
30 ℃ 20 ℃ 20 ℃
m=3 5 gm
m=3 5 gm m=3 5 gm When, m/f = 35 gm
M =50 gm M =35 gm
M =40 gm

💡 Key Physics Concept derived from this:

 More Vapour = Higher Dew Point (Easier to reach saturation).

 Less Vapour = Lower Dew Point (Need to cool down much more to reach saturation).

⚠️Caution! (Important Concept)

Relative Humidity changes if the temperature changes.

 Why? Because changing the temperature changes the vapour holding capacity (F) of
the enclosed space.
 However: The actual amount of vapour present (f) does not change (assuming a closed
room).
 Therefore: For a specific amount of vapour present, the Dew Point is fixed. The Dew
Point will remain unchanged as long as the amount of actual vapour present does not
change.

If you change... Relative Humidity (R) Dew Point

Changes No Change
Air Temperature
(T) (Because Capacity 'F' (Because Actual Vapour 'f' is still
changes) the same)

Amount of Vapour
Changes Changes
(f)

The Equation: Glaisher’s Formula

 Dew point , θ=θ1−G(θ1 −θ2)

 θ1 :Dry Bulb Temperature - This is simply the current room temperature or air
temperature.
 θ2 :Wet Bulb Temperature - This is the temperature reading from the thermometer
wrapped in a wet cloth. It is usually lower than θ1 because evaporation cools it down.
 G: Glaisher’s Factor/Constant - This is a number that changes depending on the dry
bulb temperature (usually provided in a reference table or the exam question).

The Instrument: The Hygrometer

 Dry Bulb (Left): Measures actual air temperature.

 Wet Bulb (Right): The bulb is wrapped in a wet cloth (wick) dipped in a water reservoir.
 How it works: Water evaporates from the wet cloth. Evaporation causes cooling (latent
heat), so the wet bulb reading θ2 drops.
o Dry Air: Fast evaporation →Big difference between θ1and θ2
o Humid/wet Air: Slow evaporation →Small difference between θ1and θ2
o If the difference continues to decrease very slowly, there is a possibility of rain.
o Sudden decrease in temperature difference forecasts storms.