ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Humidity

Humidity

Have you ever visited a place that just made you feel hot and sticky the entire time, no matter what you did to cool off?

Grades

9 - 12

Subjects

Earth Science, Geology, Meteorology, Geography, Physical Geography

















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Have you ever visited a place that just made you feel hot and sticky the entire time, no matter what you did to cool off? You can thank humidity for that unpleasant feeling.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. If there is a lot of water vapor in the air, the humidity will be high. The higher the humidity, the wetter it feels outside.

On the weather reports, humidity is usually explained as relative humidity. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor actually in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at the same temperature. Think of the air at a chilly -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). At that temperature, the air can hold, at most, 2.2 grams of water per cubic meter. So if there are 2.2 grams of water per cubic meter when it's -10 degrees Celsius outside, we're at an uncomfortable 100 percent relative humidity. If there was 1.1 grams of water in the air at -10 degrees Celsius, we're at 50 percent relative humidity.

When humidity is high, the air is so clogged with water vapor that there isn't room for much else. If you sweat when it's humid, it can be hard to cool off because your sweat can't evaporate into the air like it needs to.

Humidity is blamed for all kinds of negative things, including mold in your house (usually the bathroom, where it's wet much of the time), as well as malfunctions in regular household electronics. Moisture from humid air settles, or condenses, on electronics. This can interrupt the electric current, causing a loss of power. Computers and television sets can lose power like this if not protected from the effects of humidity. Living with humidity is easier with the aid of a dehumidifier, which sucks moisture out of the air.

High humidity is also associated with hurricanes. Air with high moisture content is necessary for a hurricane to develop. U.S. states such as Texas and Louisiana, which border the very warm Gulf of Mexico, have humid climates. This results in tons of rainfall, lots of flooding and the occasional hurricane.

Fast Fact

The Not-So-Hot Zone
People are usually comfortable at 45-percent relative humidity.

Media Credits

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Writers
Hilary Costa
Erin Sprout
Santani Teng
Melissa McDaniel
Jeff Hunt
Diane Boudreau
Tara Ramroop
Kim Rutledge
Hilary Hall
Illustrators
Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
Tim Gunther
Editors
Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing, Emdash Editing
Kara West
Educator Reviewer
Nancy Wynne
Producer
National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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