Question:
If I have a sealed container containing water and still
air at a given temperature, the air will eventually become saturated
with water-gas (100% relative humidity). If the air is then moving
(by blowing it around with a fan), will its' water carrying capacity
increase ? (Saturated water content) Given the temperature of the
system does not change and the container remains sealed. I believe it does.
Replies:
If the air in a closed container is saturated with water vapor, it is
saturated, period, whether the air is moving or still. Think of the
analogy of a saturated solution of a salt, e.g. NaCl in water. If the
olution is truly saturated and the temperature does not change, it makes
no difference whether the water is still or stirred. Of course, if dry air
is blown across the water, the conditions have changed.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.