Air initially at 101. 3 kPa and 40oC and with a relative humidity of 5...
Warm air can possess more water vapor (moisture) than cold air, so with the same amount of absolute/specific humidity, air will have a HIGHER relative humidity if the air is cooler, and a LOWER relative humidity if the air is warmer.
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Air initially at 101. 3 kPa and 40oC and with a relative humidity of 5...
Given Information:
- Initial conditions: Air at 101.3 kPa and 40°C with a relative humidity of 50%
- Final conditions: Air cooled at constant pressure to 30°C
Explanation:
When air is cooled, its capacity to hold moisture decreases. This leads to changes in various parameters related to humidity. Let's analyze each option to determine the correct answer.
a) Higher Dew Point:
- The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated and starts to condense.
- In this case, the initial relative humidity is 50%. As the air is cooled, the relative humidity will increase, but it will not reach 100%.
- Therefore, the dew point will not increase. Hence, option 'a' is incorrect.
b) Higher Absolute (Specific) Humidity:
- Absolute humidity is the mass of water vapor present in a given volume of air.
- As the air is cooled, its capacity to hold moisture decreases. Therefore, the mass of water vapor present in the air remains the same, but the volume decreases.
- This results in an increase in absolute humidity. Hence, option 'b' is incorrect.
c) Higher Relative Humidity:
- Relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air to the maximum amount it can hold at a given temperature.
- As the air is cooled, its capacity to hold moisture decreases. However, the actual amount of water vapor in the air remains the same.
- Since the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold decreases, the relative humidity increases.
- Therefore, option 'c' is correct.
d) Higher Wet Bulb Temperature:
- Wet bulb temperature is the temperature measured when a wetted thermometer bulb is exposed to moving air.
- As the air is cooled, the wet bulb temperature will decrease.
- Therefore, option 'd' is incorrect.
To summarize, the correct answer is option 'c' - the cooled air has a higher relative humidity.