Period+3+Group+1

Response to Investigation 6 Essential Question(s)**
 * Period 3 Group 1

= = =We can determine that there's water vapor in the air by performing a controlled lab. I know this because we did two labs to answer this question. To prove there's water vapor in the air we took a cup filled it with water, dyed it, added ice cubes, and covered it up with up plastic wrap. Then we waited until the water vapor transferred its energy to the cup. The air then dropped to dew point and became saturated thus the water vapor in the air condensed into water droplets on the side of the cup. The other lab we performed was when we put water on our hand and waited for it to evaporate. Evaporation is when water gains enough energy to change its form to a gas which rises into the air as water vapor. That is how water vapor gets into the air.= = = =Humidity is the amount of water vapor that is in the air and it is measured in percent. I know this from investigation 1 when we used the hygrometer outside to check the weather factors. Hygrometers measure relative humidity. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the amount of water vapor needed to saturate the air at a given temperature.=
 * How can we determine that water vapor is in the air and how does it get there? What is humidity and what is dew point and how are each measured? How do clouds and dew form? **

=Dew point is the temperature at which a certain amount of water vapor in the air condenses and is measured in degrees Celsius using a thermometer and humidity calculator. I know this because in the "Dragon’s Breath" article it is explained that dewpoint is the temprature at which a certain volume of air is saturated with water vapor. So that means if air is saturated then no more water vapor can go into it and the water vapor condenses onto a condensation nuclei. Also in investigation six I learned that dewpoint is measured by comparing the humidity or water in the air to the temprature at which that water will condence. By taking the realitve humidity of the air you lower the temprature untill the air becomes saturated which is in turn is the dew point.= = = =Clouds and dew form through condensation. We learned this through the article "Dragons Breath". In the article it stated that dew forms when water vapor saturates the air and reaches the dew point. When this happens the water vapor in the air condenses onto a surface and forms water droplets. Clouds form when the water vapor in the air reaches dew point and condenses on tiny particles in the air called condensation nuclei. These form cloud droplets and they group together to form a cloud.=