ATOC 184 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fluid Parcel, Dew Point, Water Vapor
11 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The molecules of air are doing work as they expand: the energy can either be used to do the work of expansion, or to maintain the temperature of the parcel, but it can"t be used for both. If the total amount of heat in a parcel of air is held constant (no heat is added or released), then when the parcel expands, its temperature drops: ex. Leaves a puddle because the air coming in contact with the can is cooling off to its dew point temp and condensation that forms outside of your can drips down: ex. The temperature of the air cools to its dewpoint. Latent heat release: why is condensation so important in the atmosphere : when condensation occurs, it causes the temperature of the air parcel to increase. Condensation slows the rate the air parcel cools when it rises: takes a lot of energy to change gas to liquid because it has a very high heat capacity.
