Humidity
Humidity
Humidity (/hjuːˈmɪdɪti/) is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Etymology
The word "humidity" comes from the Latin word umidus, which means moist or wet.
Types of Humidity
There are three main measurements of humidity: absolute, relative and specific.
- Absolute Humidity is the total mass of water vapor present in a given volume or mass of air.
- Relative Humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in an air-water mixture to the saturated vapor pressure of water at a prescribed temperature.
- Specific Humidity is the ratio of water vapor mass to the total moist air parcel mass.
Related Terms
- Dew Point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor.
- Hygrometer is an instrument used for measuring the amount of humidity and water vapor in the atmosphere, in soil, or in confined spaces.
- Psychrometrics is the study of the physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures.
Health Effects
High humidity can often have a negative effect on the capacity of physical exertion by humans and other animals. Prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause Hyperthermia, a condition where the body's temperature rises and can result in heat stroke and death if not treated promptly.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Humidity
- Wikipedia's article - Humidity
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