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Learn about temperature, air pressure, density, and humidity in the atmosphere. Explore how these factors interact and influence weather conditions. Discover the significance of temperature scales, air pressure variations, and humidity levels. Dive into calculations and activities to deepen your understanding of atmospheric properties.
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Temperature • Temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a material. • Higher temperature means particles are moving faster. • Temperature Scales • Fahrenheit (used in United States) • Celsius (used in the rest of the world) • Kelvin (SI unit of temperature)
Air Pressure • The Earth’s atmosphere, because air has weight, exerts pressure. • Density of air decreases as altitude increases so pressure also decreases.
Pressure-Temperature-Density • Air Pressure versus Temperature • At the same density, warm air exerts more pressure than cooler air. (Faster particles=greater force) • Air Pressure and Density • At the same temperature, more dense air exerts more pressure. (more particles=greater force) • Temperature and Density • At the same pressure, warm air is less dense than cool air. (Heat=expansion=lower density) • Think of this in a balloon!
Humidity • Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given location. • Two ways to express water vapor content: • Relative Humidity • Dew Point
Relative Humidity • The amount of water in a volume of air relative to the amount of water vapor needed for that volume of air to reach saturation is called relative humidity.
Dew point • The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled at constant pressure to reach saturation. • When temperature falls to this level, dew begins to forms (condensation). • If the dew point is nearly the same as the air temperature, then the relative humidity is high.
So at 62% humidity, the air contains 62% of the water vapor needed for the air to be saturated
Sample Calculation • What is the relative humidity of 1 kg of air containing 20 g of water at 40 °C? • There can be up to 50 g of water in a 40 °C sample. • (20g/50g) x 100 = 40% relative humidity
Class activities • Complete the Problem-Solving Lab on page 294 and answer the Think Critically questions on the same sheet of paper.