Absolute humidity
Absolute Humidity
Absolute humidity (pronounced: ab-so-lute hu-mi-di-ty) is a term used in Meteorology and Physical Geography to describe the total mass of water vapor present in a given volume or mass of air. It does not take temperature into consideration. Absolute humidity in the atmosphere ranges from near zero to roughly 30 grams per cubic meter when the air is saturated at 30 °C.
Etymology
The term "Absolute Humidity" is derived from the Latin word 'absolutus', which means 'free, unrestricted', and the Arabic word 'uḥmiyya', which means 'humidity'.
Measurement
Absolute humidity is typically expressed in grams of moisture per cubic meter of air (g/m³). The measurement of absolute humidity is complex and requires specialized equipment such as a Hygrometer or a Dew Point mirror.
Related Terms
- Relative Humidity: It is the ratio of the current absolute humidity to the highest possible absolute humidity (which depends on the current air temperature). A reading of 100 percent relative humidity means that the air is totally saturated with water vapor and cannot hold any more, creating the possibility of rain.
- Dew Point: It is the temperature at which the water vapor in a sample of air at constant barometric pressure condenses into liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates.
- Hygrometer: It is an instrument used for measuring the moisture content in the atmosphere.
See Also
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.