WW2010
University of Illinois

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Relative Humidity
indicates how moist the air is

Relative humidity may be defined as the ratio of the water vapor density (mass per unit volume) to the saturation water vapor density, usually expressed in percent:

Relative Humidity (RH) =
(Actual Vapor Density)
--------------------
(Saturation Vapor Density)
X 100%

Relative humidity is also approximately the ratio of the actual to the saturation vapor pressure.

RH =
(Actual Vapor Pressure)
--------------------------
(Saturation Vapor Pressure)
X 100%

Actual vapor pressure is a measurement of the amount of water vapor in a volume of air and increases as the amount of water vapor increases. Air that attains its saturation vapor pressure has established an equilibrium with a flat surface of water. That means, an equal number of water molecules are evaporating from the surface of the water into the air as are condensing from the air back into the water.


Terms for using data resources. CD-ROM available.
Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010.
Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.