Original Project
Weather and Climate I: Basic Elements
Item WC071003: The humidity of air can be higher at one time of year than another because warmer air can hold more water vapor than cooler air.
The air above a lake is warmer in the summer than in the fall. Based on this information, which of the following statements is TRUE about the effect that the warmer air temperature would have on the humidity of the air?
- The humidity of the air could be lower in the summer than in the fall because warmer air can hold less water vapor than cooler air.
- The humidity of the air could be higher in the summer than in the fall because warmer air can hold more water vapor than cooler air.
- The humidity of the air would be the same in summer and fall because the amount of water vapor in the air does not depend on the temperature of the air.
- The humidity of the air would be the same in summer and fall because even though the amount of water vapor in air depends on the temperature of the air, the amount of water vapor in the air does not affect how humid the air is.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1602 | 2936 | 55% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 987 | 1900 | 52% |
| 9–12 | 614 | 1035 | 59% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 758 | 1467 | 52% |
| Female | 811 | 1423 | 57% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1443 | 2617 | 55% |
| Other | 119 | 239 | 50% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- ESS2.C Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land.
- Notes
- NGSS does not explicitly address the idea that there is a maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a given temperature or that warmer air can hold more water vapor than colder air.