asked 205k views
3 votes
What happens to RH as temp increases as a result from what happening to the SVP? And what about VP?

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

As temperature increases, SVP increases due to higher molecular KE, leading to an increase in VP. If air moisture remains unchanged, RH decreases with increasing temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

As temperature increases, the saturated vapor pressure (SVP) of a liquid also increases due to the increased average kinetic energy (KE) of its molecules. This happens because the higher kinetic energy leads to more molecules escaping from the liquid phase to the vapor phase, thus increasing the vapor pressure (VP). Consequently, the relative humidity (RH) would decrease if the amount of moisture in the air stays the same, as it is defined as the ratio of the current vapor pressure to the saturated vapor pressure. However, if more moisture is added to the air as it warms, RH can remain constant or even increase.

answered
User Dave Albert
by
7.3k points
Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.