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Relative Humidity in sub-zero temperatures...

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Dennis...
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:52 am
Guest
Does the temperature being less than freezing point (0 Celcius) have an
effect on humidity?

Assuming an air pressure close to normal atmospheric, I imagine any airborn
moisture would become ice at 0C, therefore RH would fall to 0%.

Is this correct?
 
Robert Copcutt...
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:40 am
Guest
Dennis wrote:
[quote:a90bb0f88f]Does the temperature being less than freezing point (0 Celcius) have an
effect on humidity?
[/quote:a90bb0f88f]
All temperature changes have an effect.

[quote:a90bb0f88f]
Assuming an air pressure close to normal atmospheric, I imagine any airborn
moisture would become ice at 0C, therefore RH would fall to 0%.

Is this correct?

[/quote:a90bb0f88f]
No.

Relative humidity = (amount of water actually in the air)/(amount of
water in saturated air).

Amount of water in saturated air = (vapour pressure of
water)/(atmospheric pressure).

The vapour pressure of water decreases with decreasing temperature but
never gets to zero.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vapor.
 
Dennis...
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:01 am
Guest
"Robert Copcutt" <rob at (no spam) donotspam.com> wrote in message
news:4324m.7115$1l2.5894 at (no spam) newsfe23.ams2...
[quote:c8ca458722]Dennis wrote:
Does the temperature being less than freezing point (0 Celcius) have an
effect on humidity?

All temperature changes have an effect.


Assuming an air pressure close to normal atmospheric, I imagine any
airborn moisture would become ice at 0C, therefore RH would fall to 0%.

Is this correct?


No.

Relative humidity = (amount of water actually in the air)/(amount of water
in saturated air).

Amount of water in saturated air = (vapour pressure of water)/(atmospheric
pressure).

The vapour pressure of water decreases with decreasing temperature but
never gets to zero.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vapor.
[/quote:c8ca458722]

Thanks for the reply Robert. It makes more sense having had a look at the
wiki reference.
 
 
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