Is relative humidity, in general, highest in the afternoon or the morning?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: Is relative humidity, in general, highest in the afternoon or the morning?

Option a: Morning. This choice is generally correct because relative humidity (RH) depends on the ratio of actual water vapor present to the maximum amount the air can hold at a given temperature. In the cooler morning hours, air temperature is low, which lowers the saturation vapor pressure. If the actual vapor pressure remains relatively constant or does not decrease as much, the RH tends to be higher in the morning. Additionally, morning often features cooler, still air with less solar heating, promoting higher RH and sometimes visible dew.

Option b: Afternoon. This choice is typically less accurate in many climates. During the afternoon, temperatures are higher, which raises the saturation vapor pressure of the air. If the amount of moisture in the air doesn't increase proportionally, the relative humidity decreases. While humidity can rise in some humid climates due to air movement or rain events, the general tendency in many regions is for RH to be lower in the afternoon than in the morning because of the temperature rise.

Summary of why the morning option is favored: cooler temperatures reduce the air's capacity to hold water vapor, so the same or similar moisture content yields a higher RH in the morning. The afternoon’s warmth increases capacity, often lowering RH even if absolute humidity is unchanged. Therefore, option a aligns with the typical diurnal pattern of relative humidity, while option b describes conditions that are less common for highest RH.

Dashboard Quiz2

Is relative humidity, in general, highest in the afternoon or the morning?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Relative humidity (RH) quantifies how saturated Earth's atmosphere is with respect to water vapor. When the relative humidity is 100%, what must be true?

Just using the results from questions 9 and 10, we can say that Relative Humidity ___ as air temperature increases.

The relative humidity at De Anza College would be _____________________ when the temperature is the lowest:

The image above shows a rain shadow. When air coming off the ocean rises, it is cooled. When the air descends, it is re-heated. Together, these produce a wet side and a dry side because the water-holding capacity of the air _______

When air reaches saturation, its relative humidity will be

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler