Final answer:
The dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water vapor and reaches 100% relative humidity. When the air cools to this temperature, water vapor condenses into liquid.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dew Point Temperature Explained
The dew point temperature is d. The temperature at which the air parcel becomes saturated with water vapor. At this temperature, the air reaches a 100% relative humidity, meaning it cannot hold any more water vapor in its gaseous state. When the air cools down and reaches the dew point, excess water vapor begins to condense into liquid forms like dew or fog. The concept of dew point is crucial for understanding weather patterns and predicting fog, dew, or frost.
The term 'vapor density' refers to the mass of water vapor in a given volume of air, while 'saturation vapor density' is the maximum mass of water vapor that volume of air can hold at a particular temperature. When the air contains the same amount of water vapor as the saturation vapor density, we reach 100% relative humidity. The dew point can vary depending on the amount of water vapor present; for example, air with a temperature of 25.0°C containing 9.40 g/m³ of water vapor will have a dew point of 10.0°C.
Farmers monitor dew points because they can indicate the potential for frost, which can damage crops. In arid regions, due to lower humidity, dew points are often much lower, leading to significant temperature drops at night as no heat is released through condensation.