In a mass of air in which no water is being added or removed,a temperature increase will
A)increase both the specific and relative humidity.
B)decrease both the specific and relative humidity.
C)increase the specific humidity,but have no effect on the relative humidity.
D)have no effect on the specific humidity,but will decrease the relative humidity.
E)have no effect on the specific humidity,but will increase the relative humidity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Specific humidity is a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air and is independent of temperature. Therefore, a temperature increase will not affect specific humidity (option C and E are incorrect). However, as the temperature increases, the air's ability to hold water vapor increases, and therefore, the relative humidity decreases (option A is incorrect). The mass of air has no source or sink of water, so there is no change in the water content of the air. Therefore, option B is also incorrect. Thus, the correct answer is D, where a temperature increase will have no effect on the specific humidity but will decrease the relative humidity.

In a Mass of Air in Which No Water Is