What is relative humidity relative to anyway?

From: Science Scope | Date: October 1, 2006| Author: | Copyright information

Byline: Terry Carroll, Erin Martin, and Jon Carroll

When describing the amount of moisture present in the air, the term relative humidity is frequently not understood. The general term humidity is defined as "a measure of the water vapor content of the air" (Branick 2003). Absolute humidity is more specific and is referred to as "the ratio of the mass of water vapor to a unit volume occupied by a mixture of water vapor and dry air" (NSIDC 2004). In order to grasp the concept of relative humidity, it helps to ask the question, "Relative to what?" Relative humidity is defined ...

Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

RELATIVE HUMIDITY TRENDS
; Relative humidity strongly affects atmospheric visibility...been done examining archival data of relative humidity searching for evidence of climate change. In the first study of relative humidity in Canada analyzing data taken on an...
RELATIVE HUMIDITY OFTEN HIGH OUTDOORS, LOW INDOORS IN WINTER
; ...noticing on our weathercasts that the relative humidity was often at 80% or 90%. She didn...confusion was understandable. The relative humidity we give is for outdoors. During the...cannot hold much moisture. Since relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of moisture...
Use dew point, not relative humidity, to measure discomfort
; ...over the weekend and the afternoon relative humidity was still in the 45% range. He wanted...under 10% in the Milwaukee area? Relative humidity is probably one of the most confusing...air. During the summer months, a relative humidity of 45% with temperatures in the 70s...
Contending with summer's atmosphere. (printing paper) (column)
; ...humidities of the summer season. Relative humidity, often confused with the term humidity...hold at the same temperature. When relative humidity reaches 100%, the atmosphere becomes...During the winter months, the high relative humidity of the atmosphere can often be lowered...
It's not the heat, it's the humidity. (heat index)
; ...Humid--when it feels sticky, the relative humidity is high--or is it? Relative humidity is the measure of the amount of water...possibly hold at that temperature. A relative humidity of 50% means that the air contains...
Tramex meters measure moisture, humidity. (Products Tools & Accessories).
; Tramex Ltd.'s CRH is a moisture and relative humidity meter with four testing modes: moisture content, internal relative humidity in concrete to ASTM F2170, surface relative humidity and ambient relative humidity, temperature and dew point...
Moisture advection using relative humidity
; ...advection formulation that contains relative humidity. In the sigma coordinate system...conservation equation in terms of relative humidity leads to an equation that explicitly...the governing equation, containing relative humidity, is significantly different from...
Of dew points and relative humidity
; ...4 Of dew points and relative humidity By PAUL JOSEPH Chief...differences between the relative humidity and the dew point. We...of our viewers. The relative humidity is a measure of how...
THE WEATHER: Cool reflection advised over humidity
; ...very warm and sultry again, with relative humidity of 55 to 60 per cent . . ." Such...than yesterday, with a mid-afternoon relative humidity of 70 per cent." Some people might...morning may begin cool and dry with a relative humidity (RH) of 90 per cent, but by mid-afternoon...
Observed Interannual Variability of Tropical Troposphere Relative Humidity
; ABSTRACT Relative humidity fields from the High-Resolution...interannual variability of relative humidity in the tropical troposphere...winter (December-February) relative humidity variations during an ENSO event...