Exam 4: Atmospheric Humidity

____________________ represents the water vapor density (mass / volume)in a parcel of air, and normally, is expressed as grams of water vapor in a cubic meter of air.

As the difference between the air temperature and the dew point increases, the relative humidity ____.

When the air temperature increases, the saturation vapor pressure decreases.

Suppose saturated polar air has an air temperature and dew point of -10 degrees Celsius, and unsaturated desert air has an air temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and a dew point of 10 degrees Celsius. The desert air contains ____________________ water vapor and has a(n)____________________ relative humidity than the polar air.

If the air temperature remains constant, evaporating water into the air will ____ the dew point and ____ the relative humidity.

Saturation vapor pressure over water is ____________________ than over ice.

If very cold air is brought indoors and warmed with no change in its moisture content, the saturation vapor pressure of this air will ____________________ and the relative humidity of this air will ____________________.

What percentage of the nearly 1.5 quintillion gallons of water vapor that annually evaporates into the atmosphere evaporates from the oceans?

An enterprising travel agent trying to sell you a summer vacation package to Phoenix, Arizona, claims that the summertime relative humidity is above 90 percent. Can this be true? Explain.

The cycle of moving and transforming water molecules from liquid to vapor and back to liquid again is called the ____________________.

Evaporative coolers are primarily used in climates where the summers are ____.

The land occupies less than ____ percent of Earth's surface.

What is meant by the terms water vapor saturation and saturation vapor pressure ? Why does the saturation vapor pressure increase with increasing air temperature?

____ law of partial pressure describes that the total pressure inside an air parcel is equal to the sum of all pressures of the individual gases present in the air parcel.

The percentage of water vapor present in the air compared to that required for saturation is the ____.

If water vapor constitutes 3.5 percent of an air parcel whose total pressure is 1,000 mb, the water vapor pressure would be ____.

During the winter, high relative humidity can irritate the mucus membranes in the nose and throat.

The hot, desert air of the Sahara often contains ____ water vapor than the cold, polar air farther north, therefore has a ____ specific humidity.

Microscopic bits of dust, smoke, salt, and other particles that commonly are mixed in with air molecules are called ___________________.

Why is perspiration an effective means of cooling human skin?