Lecture 2: Introduction to humidity - part I - mixing ratio and dew point

UPDATE: I'm making materials available for all of my lectures on my website (melstrong.org) for either those bored folks stuck at home due to the virus or teachers looking for online content. For this lecture I have some practice problems regarding mixing ratio and dew point with answer keys.
First lecture on humidity. Covers mixing ratio and dew point, plus a little about atmospheric composition. The next lecture after this covers relative humidity.
This was originally part of the Blue Planet lecture series at the University of New Mexico. If you are interested in weather, this lecture is now part of my "weather short course" playlist, where there are another ~15 videos similar to this one.

Пікірлер: 123

  • @michaeljohnson2922
    @michaeljohnson29223 жыл бұрын

    You are one of the best teachers I’ve ever listened to, you have a gift for it.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    My students would generally disagree with you but thanks!

  • @William5434

    @William5434

    Жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong we are all your student now and we appreciate it. Best material for my PPL study. Thank you.

  • @abdelghaffaresamabdelghaff3247

    @abdelghaffaresamabdelghaff3247

    Жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong Actually I am egyptian and my English is not very good. But your explanation is very clear and I enjoyed listening to your lectures one after another, although this is not my specialty. I am pharmacist 😂

  • @Iconostar.BillOlsonVideo

    @Iconostar.BillOlsonVideo

    Жыл бұрын

    I was just going to write almost the same thing. I'm sharing this video on my Facebook page, and I'm going to say, "This guy is an excellent teacher." I found the video on cloud types because I'm studying to get my commercial drone license. Your video helped me a lot.

  • @lucasdsiqueira
    @lucasdsiqueira Жыл бұрын

    Years later and this is still the best introduction to climate and weather out there. This must remain on KZread until the end of times!

  • @joshntn37111

    @joshntn37111

    Жыл бұрын

    Couldn't agree more!!

  • @julianam9795
    @julianam97952 ай бұрын

    You explain so well!! I don't know nothing about weather and could really follow along. Thank you so much!!

  • @janakiramnallamothu3020
    @janakiramnallamothu30204 жыл бұрын

    I watched your Lecture on CLOUDS, only after watching it i got total clarity about clouds and so does Mixing Ratio and Dew point. Your steady pace teaching style suits my level of learning and more over i can retain the concept with a single go. - Thank you.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your nice comment. Watch part 2 (which is lecture 3) and see if relative humidity makes sense - that's the topic that tends to confuse people the most and is least understood by the public!

  • @thewhale683

    @thewhale683

    3 жыл бұрын

    @janakiram: I share your experience. Well put. His teaching style is perfectly balanced for understanding and retention in one go.

  • @geekygardener1730
    @geekygardener17303 ай бұрын

    This guy needs his own tv show. Such a brilliant teacher!

  • @luisaevelinschubert8668
    @luisaevelinschubert86683 жыл бұрын

    Hi Mel, thank you so much for making this available on the Internet. I am a German environmental science student and this has helped me a lot to regain study-fun during another online semester! Also it gave me the best basics for an exam, where we were only provided with a reading list... Kitty made everthing even better, and very nice fotos!

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your message - hope these lectures help you in some way. Kitties always make things better...

  • @colorocko1
    @colorocko16 ай бұрын

    I learned so much watching and listening to you. Thank you!

  • @mountain_del1863
    @mountain_del18632 жыл бұрын

    Got myself a weather station, started learning weather stuff.......you Sir, are superb at explaining this. Brilliant in fact. Best wishes from Scotland.

  • @fly_neil
    @fly_neil2 жыл бұрын

    Glad I came across this series. I’ve flown sailplanes for some years, and look at the weather a lot. These explain clearly and logically the various building blocks of what’s happening in the atmosphere. It’s great to listen to lectures like this, and learn. I like the style.

  • @hellkell8693
    @hellkell86933 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for taking the time to share this knowledge. You do a great job of explaining concepts. I’m sure your students are happy to have you as an instructor. I’m a 747 pilot but will sail my schooner across the Atlantic and am improving my knowledge for that sail. Thank you.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your comment. Good luck on your voyage!

  • @blesss1557
    @blesss1557 Жыл бұрын

    Wow, your lectures are so clear and organized! Your teaching is very calm and well-paced. I am the sort of person who usually can't hold my attention for more than 15 minutes...but I have been watching your lectures for hours without taking effort

  • @teddywest4910
    @teddywest49102 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, Mr. Strong, for making me a little bit less stupid! Much obliged!

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    LOL

  • @dploit
    @dploit3 ай бұрын

    🙌thanks excellent ! after seen 5 videos I finally understand the point! nice cat!

  • @joshntn37111
    @joshntn37111 Жыл бұрын

    I love this guy. His lectures are so enjoyable.

  • @vindictivetiger
    @vindictivetiger3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for posting this. It's very fascinating.

  • @unchilgisam
    @unchilgisam Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for making all these! I started to become interested in meteorology but there are concepts that are hard to grasp in books and in other lectures. You're videos are super helpful. Thank you, sir, thank you! 🙇🏻‍♀️

  • @zoeschofield
    @zoeschofield4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for this informative lecture! I'm such a weather geek and have watched it several times. Thanks again!

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @abdullahmuhammadanas3512
    @abdullahmuhammadanas351211 ай бұрын

    You are just excellent! Beyond any sorts of complement. I didn't find anything so much easier but detailed lectures on atmospheric science anywhere. Thanks a lot for your efforts. It's just excellent.

  • @kerberossi
    @kerberossi2 жыл бұрын

    Random biochem student here to learn about weather, these are very helpful and your lectures are lovely to have in the background!

  • @jasonbushell7080
    @jasonbushell70802 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely amazing video. I learnt a lot here, and appreciate it very much. Thank you.

  • @svlonestar7645
    @svlonestar7645 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you, professor, for the information. When I finish building a time machine on the other channel, I'm going back to take your class.. you are one of the best.

  • @cppprogramming
    @cppprogramming4 жыл бұрын

    The use of small dice and a 1m cubed box to represent water vapor and air respectively, was a great idea. I didn't know where mixing ratio was going but you slid right into dew point and for the first time I think I actually grasped the concept. I have never heard of the North American Monsoon before. Every time I hear of a monsoon I have associated it with "Karate Kid 2" and Okinawa. You nearly broken my brain speaking of monsoon season in terms of New Mexico. I had to fact check it to make sure you weren't making it up. It's real! =) I see it that it was the subject of one of your papers...dissertation I think. Thanks for reshaping my old noggin.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks - pretty much all weather books I have seen jump right into dew point without any work with mixing ratio. I think that makes it way too abstract. I like mixing ratio because you can visualize it. If you are publishing scientific papers, you would typically report humidity as parts per million (PPM). But nobody uses that in weather reports.

  • @cppprogramming

    @cppprogramming

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong Interestingly it was a clear day today except for a solitary cumulus cloud as I was walking my dog. I estimated the cloud deck to be about 3,000 feet. (I've played with METAR data which has helped me to estimate cloud bases in the past). It was 70 degrees F. Using the DALR rule of 5.4 deg/1000 feet, I estimated the dew point to be about 53 deg F. This was an estimate since I had my dog. I checked the actual dew point and it was 54. Wow!! I suddenly feel like I have this special power over my environment. =)

  • @lmdevlin27
    @lmdevlin274 жыл бұрын

    Love it! And I impressed everyone I know with my new knowledge of dew point!

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Great! But can you impress your friends even more by making dew magically appear in front of their eyes???

  • @nowayangelo

    @nowayangelo

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong haha

  • @DJ-Hotwire
    @DJ-HotwireАй бұрын

    You are an amazing teacher. if only I had you in college.

  • @nagendragullipalli630
    @nagendragullipalli630 Жыл бұрын

    Marvellous series kudos to ur practical visualisation

  • @Barba_007
    @Barba_007 Жыл бұрын

    @1:14 had me dying, you delivered it like a killer xD

  • @yassarghanimi1863
    @yassarghanimi1863 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for these excellent lectures!

  • @VegaPhil
    @VegaPhil9 ай бұрын

    You explained this so well

  • @Labroidas
    @Labroidas4 жыл бұрын

    Very useful lecture for me. I'm preparing for my exam in introductory meteorology and climatology, and this is exactly what I need, thank you for making it.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    So did you pass your exam? If not, I claim no responsibility....

  • @Labroidas

    @Labroidas

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong Yes I passed with a really good grade! Thank you very much :D It's very strange that there is so little educational material for meteorology on youtube, even though you'd think the weather is something that impacts the life of every person on Earth. Your lectures are really like finding a goldmine.

  • @joswanair
    @joswanair4 жыл бұрын

    Your lectures are amazing. Thank you!!! I'm a pilot and these have been so helpful in understanding more about weather. Your work should be used by the FAA for training pilots.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much. But I don't want to be responsible for planes falling out of the sky.... But seriously I should make a couple of lectures specifically for pilots as there is a lot more they should know than what I have in this lecture series.

  • @joswanair

    @joswanair

    4 жыл бұрын

    Haha. I think you'll only be responsible for helping us prevent getting planes into conditions that could make them fall out of the sky. I know that there is a lot we should know as pilots, but I'm amazed at how well you describe some basic concepts that we learn about but don't deeply understand. I've been binge watching these and sharing them with other pilots already. So thanks again and I'll be on the lookout in case any pilot specific lectures do come out.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Well if you can think of particular topics that pilots are either most confused about or would find most useful, that would help me figure out what to cover.

  • @gregory.chalenko

    @gregory.chalenko

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong I'm a student pilot, and I find your lectures so much more comprehensive and consistent than any specialized manuals about meteorology for aviators I've read so far! For example, in the books there is a lot of confusion about how to count the water vapour in the atmosphere composition. Your explanation has finally cleared this up for me. The previous lecture about the cloud types is just brilliant, I know exactly how to tell altocumulus from stratocumulus now. I do have some questions about relative humidity, but they might be answered in the following lectures.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@gregory.chalenko Thanks for the feedback - humidity is a very confusing topic. It is poorly communicated and hence poorly understood by most people. I can imagine the confusion that pilots must have about this.

  • @arpandutta2888
    @arpandutta28883 жыл бұрын

    Great.....Your teaching skill made it easy to understand ...Thank you soo much

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks...appreciate the feedback.

  • @kevin2d212
    @kevin2d2124 жыл бұрын

    Dew point/saturation/humidity are the hardest part of me trying to understand weather, now i got whole picture clear after watching your lecture. Thanks

  • @kevin2d212

    @kevin2d212

    4 жыл бұрын

    basically bcz as temperature rise, air expand and create more space for more gas to "fit in". likewise in cold temperature, gas shrinking and got together, create less space for new gas to coming. wow

  • @kevin2d212

    @kevin2d212

    4 жыл бұрын

    you said hot air can be either dry or humid. but cold air MUST dry, so cold AND humid climate that usually appear in one of 4 climatology type are myth? what do u think?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    Well when I say dry air I mean that the dew point / mixing ratio are low. But since relative humidity is a widely used variable, it makes things more confusing. So you can have cold air, but high relative humidity - it's just really close to saturation. But that still means the air has very little moisture in it. For example, if the temperature is -40 and the relative humidity is 100%, you would have a cloud of ice crystals. But if you concentrated all the water together from a parcel of air, it would be a very very small amount. So the air is still very dry.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    It's more like this: At higher temperatures, the water molecules have more kinetic energy, so they are less likely to stick together and condense. At colder temperatures, the water molecules are moving slower, and so are more likely to cling together to form a condensate. This is what is ultimately putting a limit onto how much water vapor can be in the air at a given temperature.

  • @chrisstrobel3439
    @chrisstrobel34399 ай бұрын

    That’s a very cool cat 👍 Boy he sure loves that spot doesn’t he 🙂

  • @spikarooni6391
    @spikarooni63913 жыл бұрын

    This, is, amazing

  • @factsarefun2950
    @factsarefun29502 жыл бұрын

    Perhaps my favorite part of your videos is how you have the cats joining the lecture.

  • @kd6613
    @kd66134 ай бұрын

    🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:02 *🌍 Composition of Earth's atmosphere* - Earth's atmosphere primarily consists of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and argon (1%), with trace amounts of other gases. 05:21 *💧 Introduction to humidity measurement methods* - Humidity describes the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. - Two common methods to measure humidity are mixing ratio and percentage of gases in the atmosphere that are water vapor. 05:46 *📊 Understanding mixing ratio* - Mixing ratio quantifies the amount of water vapor in grams per kilogram of air. - It provides a precise measure of humidity and is often expressed as a fraction. 08:49 *📏 Visualizing metric units and calculations* - Understanding metric units like grams, kilograms, milliliters, and liters aids in comprehending mixing ratios. - Visualizing the size of a gram of water and a kilogram of air helps in understanding mixing ratio calculations. 12:49 *💡 Application of mixing ratio in problem-solving* - Solving problems involving mixing ratios requires understanding the concept of ratios and applying it to given scenarios. - Calculating the total amount of water vapor in a given volume of air involves multiplying mixing ratio by the volume of air. 19:29 *☁ Understanding saturation and its implications* - Saturation occurs when air reaches its maximum capacity to hold water vapor. - Saturation limits the amount of water vapor that can exist in the air, affecting humidity levels. 21:14 *🌡 Temperature's Influence on Humidity* - Temperature fundamentally controls the amount of water vapor the air can hold. - Cold air is always dry air, even when saturated, while hot air can vary in humidity. - Visualization of global humidity patterns demonstrates high humidity around the equator and low humidity near the poles. 27:23 *💧 Understanding Mixing Ratios and Dew Point* - Mixing ratio determines the potential amount of water vapor in the air. - Cooling air reduces its capacity to hold moisture until saturation, leading to condensation. - The dew point marks the temperature at which air becomes saturated, causing condensation to form dew. 32:30 *🌬 Significance of Dew Point in Weather Monitoring* - Dew point provides insight into atmospheric moisture levels. - Weather reports often include dew point to indicate humidity. - Monitoring dew point aids in understanding weather phenomena like monsoons and precipitation patterns.

  • @exe.m1dn1ght
    @exe.m1dn1ght3 жыл бұрын

    Very good explanation. I got scared by that cute furry thing, i tought she/he was a toy at first, until she yawned

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    Some people apparently think he is fake or that I somehow superimposed a video of a cat onto the desk. He's just fat and lazy and hoping for some occasionally belly rub.

  • @albanegiovanetti5530
    @albanegiovanetti55302 жыл бұрын

    Hello Dr. Strong, thank you so much for your lectures. I love how you explain everything instead of just giving a bunch of definitions to learn! I have a question. Why is the atmosphere not always saturated? I have learned in a video from the Metoffice that if you have a closed water bottle after a short time evaporation and condensation rates are the same and the air above the water becomes saturated. I have also learned in Earth Science class that planet Earth is a closed system, so isn't it the same as the water bottle example with ocean and atmosphere?

  • @Blue1Sapphire
    @Blue1Sapphire2 ай бұрын

    Excellent

  • @akalankaekanayake1024
    @akalankaekanayake10243 жыл бұрын

    awesome

  • @ykhan66
    @ykhan663 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for these lectures! Watching them and taking notes! One question I had re: this lecture was (perhaps covered later) why does air have a saturation point?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    The saturation point exists because that is the temperature at which the kinetic energy of the water molecules is too low for all of them to remain in the vapor state. In a cooling parcel of air, once the saturation point is hit, further reductions in temperature lowers the overall average kinetic energy of the water vapor molecules, so more and more of them condense out. It is the higher kinetic average kinetic energy that allows them to remain in the vapor state to begin with.

  • @lydon9394
    @lydon93942 жыл бұрын

    really enjoy your lectures, just starting to go through them. Will you be doing any future lecture content?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    Eventually

  • @bautistajonalynd.1398
    @bautistajonalynd.13983 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your videos. I just finished the one about clouds, I am a meteorologist in the Philippines and it had been very helpful. Just wanted to point out though that 1 cubic meter is equal to 1000 kg, not 1 kg. I hope you keep doing these kind of stuff. They're awesome! Will continue watching the rest of your lessons.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    1 cubic meter of air is not exactly 1kg, but is close. At sea level it will be a little more - perhaps 1.2 kg or so. But I use exactly 1kg because it makes the math much easier. Maybe you are thinking of 1 cubic meter of water??

  • @bautistajonalynd.1398

    @bautistajonalynd.1398

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong Omg ah yes, I just realized my error. Ofc we have to consider the density of stuff. Yes, I was thinking of water. Thank you for your reply!

  • @DennisEvansdje
    @DennisEvansdje6 ай бұрын

    Thank you

  • @lacalleinvisible
    @lacalleinvisible3 жыл бұрын

    Hello, I am from Chile and I was very happy to understand this concepts from this part of the world geography. Do you think it is possible that the lack of humidity of the Antartica travels thru the andes and impacts on the dryness of the Atacama desert, which is the driest desert of the world?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hello - the dry air in the Atacama desert is mostly due to the fact that air masses in that area are moving in from the East, so they must travel across the Amazon and up the Andes. As the air moves up and up across the continent, it continuously produces more and more rain until the remaining air is very dry. By the time the air reaches the Atacama almost all of the moisture has "rained out." Additionally, the west coast of South America is near a subtropical high pressure system over the southern Pacific ocean; this means that there is a nearly continuous column of dry descending air coming down from the upper troposphere. So in short, the Atacama can get dry air from both directions!

  • @nh6870
    @nh68703 жыл бұрын

    Hello again, Mr. Strong. Besides these lectures, do you have lectures on other science subjects too?

  • @gregory.chalenko
    @gregory.chalenko4 жыл бұрын

    A remark from a metric guy: one liter of water weighs one kilogram in normal conditions. This actually follows from Mel's explanation: 1 liter = 1000 milliliters 1 kilogram = 1000 grams So, if 1 milliliter weighs 1 gram, then 1 liter weighs 1 kilogram. One liter can be visualized as a cube with each side equal to 10 centimeters, which is 1000 times bigger in volume than a cube with sides of 1 centimeter.

  • @mikekramer7737
    @mikekramer77379 ай бұрын

    Tip: teach your students how to use units. At 14 min, the question was divide or multiply g/kg water vapor and kg of air to get g of water vapor. Divide the units and you get g/kg2 or kg2/g, which is not the unit g you are looking for. If you multiply g/kg x kg you get ... g, so it has to be a multiplication. This is a great way of checking all your physics equations and applying it means you have to memorize less equations. Note some units like a Force need to be written out. Use an equations you know, like F=m.a; m = kg, a = m/s2, so the unit N is kg.m/s2.

  • @silviagress4862
    @silviagress48623 жыл бұрын

    what does dew point depends on ? thanks for sharing such good content!

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    The dew point depends on how much water vapor is in the air. That in turn depends on the history of the air. If it came from somewhere cold and dry, then the dew point will be low. If the air came from over a warm ocean, then the dew point will be high. In many locations in the world, the dew point will change with wind direction, since the incoming air will be traveling in from a different location.

  • @gooddeedsleadto7499
    @gooddeedsleadto74993 жыл бұрын

    Given the cause , the temperature difference and the pressure difference between land and ocean, most of the Monsoons occur around equator because equator region has the highest mixing ratio? Thanks a million You have answered so many questions related to weather, reinforced concepts I learned in Mechanical Engineering; HVAC design , psychometric etc. I am enjoying every moment of your lecture.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    Monsoons exist when there is a seasonal reversal in wind direction. For the most part that requires a location near the equator because there is a band of easterlies on both sides of the equator (the ITCZ actually). This band moves north and south with the seasons. So if you live near the edge of this band of easterlies, then there is a chance that you could be within the easterlies during part of the year, but then in the westerlies during the rest of the year. That wind reversal can lead to a wet season vs dry season if you are living with a large body of water to your east or west for example.

  • @shawnnance3670
    @shawnnance3670 Жыл бұрын

    Great video, but how do you determine how many grams of water for the numerator

  • @michaelguthrie2344
    @michaelguthrie23442 жыл бұрын

    You are an excellent teacher. If I am trying to suggest an improvement it would be "when you look at the earth as a hole" remember it is metric.😁

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    If the earth was really a hole we would have bigger problems than the metric system...

  • @seek12481632
    @seek124816323 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the lovely lectures! I've greatly enjoyed the first two and am looking forward to the subsequent ones. I have a quick clarifying question regarding mixing ratio. When we say that e.g. the mixing ratio is 3 g/kg. Does this mean that it is 3 grams of water for every kilogram of air or is it 3 grams of water in every kilogram of air with the water in? In other words, what do we put in the denominator, the mass of the air without the water or the air and the water together? Of course, for small mixing ratios it hardly matters, but I just wanted to know since when you defined it, it seems that you've meant 3 grams of water for every kilogram of dry air, but when you've solved some examples it seems that you've meant 3 grams of water for every kilogram of the mixture of air with the water in.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    Mixing ratio is the mass of water divided by the mass of dry air. So to make a mixing ratio of 3g/kg, you would start with 1 kg of dry air, and then mix in 3g of water vapor for a total of 1.003kg. Specific Humidity is another way to describe humidity - I didn't talk about it here, but it is the ratio of the mass of water vapor to the mass of *all* air. The numerator is the water vapor alone, and the denominator is the dry air + water vapor combined. Sometimes water vapor is reported as Mixing Ratio, sometimes in Specific Humidity - they differ by a few percent.

  • @earnstgerhardcavan7471
    @earnstgerhardcavan74712 жыл бұрын

    Professor thank you so much for all the knowledge. God B less you always!

  • @briandwi2504
    @briandwi25046 ай бұрын

    It would be useful to note your references in the text. The Internet site used was amazing!

  • @joelhughes5360
    @joelhughes536011 ай бұрын

    Where can I download that exact chart for mixing ratio?

  • @SirFwissel
    @SirFwissel2 жыл бұрын

    Does mixing ratio vary by altitude? I live in South Carolina at around 1000ft above sea level, while Albuquerque is over 5,000ft above sea level. Would maximum mixing ratios be different in these two places in the same way that boiling/freezing temps are slightly different?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    The *maximum* mixing ratio only depends on temperature - pressure doesn't have much of an effect. However, since temperature cools with altitude, then it is usually the case that at higher altitudes you expect a lower maximum mixing ratio. As far as the *actual* mixing ratio is concerned, it is also usually the case that higher altitudes have drier air, therefore lower mixing ratios.

  • @SirFwissel

    @SirFwissel

    2 жыл бұрын

    ​@@MelStrong Thanks so much for your quick response. I am really enjoying these lectures. It makes concepts that I've always struggled to wrap my head around much easier to understand!

  • @neilrock9853
    @neilrock98532 жыл бұрын

    Mel, you describe the metric system of volume and weight. All good makes sense. So why do you revert to imperial measurements of temperature? Degrees Celsius is far easier to convey and makes much more sense from a scientific perspective. Lectures are very good thank you.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    Because in this country, almost all weather maps and charts and reports and forecasts use F. And all my students only think in F. In science paper and calculations, we actually use Kelvin and not C. But nobody thinks in Kelvin either.

  • @ronaldgarrison8478
    @ronaldgarrison84782 жыл бұрын

    It's not strictly true that nitrogen has no effect in the body. It dissolves in the blood and tissues, an excess of it has a sedative effect, and if it comes out of solution too fast, you get embolisms, and "the bends." An interesting question would be whether breathing air without nitrogen, such as in a space suit or space capsule, for long periods would have negative effects.

  • @hristorbital
    @hristorbital4 жыл бұрын

    Nice ending :D

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    4 жыл бұрын

    I had to watch it again to remember that....he was seeing himself on the monitor and it was confusing his little brain.

  • @atakanaynaci
    @atakanaynaci2 жыл бұрын

    Question! When the temperature of the air drops to the point where the air cannot hold anymore water vapor, what determines if we get dews on the ground or we get clouds up in the sky?

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    If air up in the sky is cooled to the dew point, then we get a cloud. At the surface, it depends on which cools first. Normally the surface cools first, so most places will get dew. But if the air is cooler than the surface, then we get fog, which is just a cloud on the ground.

  • @atakanaynaci

    @atakanaynaci

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@MelStrong awesome! Thank you🙏

  • @AviationWorld-75
    @AviationWorld-75 Жыл бұрын

    I have a question. Your lecture is amazing. But when you said that 1kg of air in a 1m x 1m x 1m cube, shouldn’t it be 10 cm x 10cm x 10cm cube because 1cm cubes have 1 gram. You can fit 1000 1cm cubes in a 10 cm cube (10 in a line, then a 100 in a 10 by 10 grid, the a 1000 in 10 grids stacked? And 1kg 1000g?

  • @Flightchock
    @Flightchock Жыл бұрын

    At the end of the video I noticed the kitten was there lmao

  • @arthunter92
    @arthunter923 жыл бұрын

    Is the total saturation not also dependant on air pressure as well as temperature...

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    3 жыл бұрын

    The maximum vapor pressure (saturation point) for any substance is quite independent of pressure. For example, suppose that you were at sea level and the maximum mixing ratio for the temperature on that day happened to be 10g/kg. If you could then somehow magically remove all of the nitrogen and oxygen from the atmosphere (hence greatly reducing the overall pressure), the maximum mixing ratio would not appreciably change and still remain close to10g/kg.

  • @ericarougelazarus9453
    @ericarougelazarus9453 Жыл бұрын

    I wonder... can you do it without the metrical system? I imagine it would be terribly difficult with US customary units 🤔 Is the metrical system taught in US schools?

  • @DenyseLRoss
    @DenyseLRoss4 ай бұрын

    Why is the graph standard temp - metric saturation

  • @lionrocklr9217
    @lionrocklr92172 жыл бұрын

    Question: why does temperature limit the amount of water vapor in air? Is there a similar limit to CO2? or O2? Water vapor is just a gas like CO2 or N2 etc. I assume the answer is in the chemical bond structure of water etc, but it deserves a little explanation. Thanks

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    2 жыл бұрын

    There are limits to all gasses, which is called the saturation vapor pressure....when the partial pressure of a particular gas reaches its saturation vapor pressure, condensation starts to occur. As an everyday example, when you get a tank of propane, the propane inside the tank is in a liquid state. This is because there are way too many propane molecules to remain in the vapor state within the confines of the tank. Water is a polar molecule, which means it has a slightly positive side and a slightly negative side. Because of this, the water molecules want to cling together. The reason they don't is because of kinetic energy. The warmer it is, the more kinetic energy the molecules have, and the high their average velocities are. As the temperature cools, the kinetic energy of the molecules decreases. Eventually they are able to cling together and stay together. Non-polar gasses such as nitrogen can be in much higher concentrations before they start to condense out.

  • @SR-fx5sm
    @SR-fx5sm3 жыл бұрын

    39:45 nice save lol

  • @pokemonjynx1019
    @pokemonjynx10193 ай бұрын

    mel strong = maelstrom

  • @rimantasstanaitis7280
    @rimantasstanaitis72802 жыл бұрын

    Well oxygen is actually converted into water by our bodies when breathing..

  • @arthunter92
    @arthunter923 жыл бұрын

    So climate change will result in higher a saturation level meaning more severe weather...

  • @arthunter92

    @arthunter92

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Paul Simonson Now that’s just too funny… Once ALL contributing factors are taken into account from earth rotation to solar cycles, from precessional cycles to volcanic activity ALL indications are that the current trend in warming is due primarily to human activity… You can argue ALL you like but that’s just the facts of the matter…

  • @arthunter92

    @arthunter92

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Paul Simonson Perhaps read a book or two on the history of climate change and how the link was made to human activity…

  • @DanRoddy
    @DanRoddy2 жыл бұрын

    All going great until the temperatures came up... Damn imperial temperature units.

  • @thugism1545
    @thugism1545Ай бұрын

    I think 1 m^3 = 1000 kg

  • @borhanuddin8447
    @borhanuddin844711 ай бұрын

    Not accurate SIr. You should have mentioned how humid south Asia or Bangladesh is during summer , just in winter it is dry. South Asia is very very humid.

  • @MelStrong

    @MelStrong

    11 ай бұрын

    We are reading map of absolute humidity on that particular day and not talking about climate whatsoever

  • @heraldosanchez-yv1fp
    @heraldosanchez-yv1fp3 ай бұрын

    fucking legend