Dew point
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The dew point is the temperature the air is cooled to at constant pressure in order to produce a relative humidity of 100%.[1] This temperature is a thermodynamic property that depends on the pressure and water content of the air. When the air at a temperature above the dew point is cooled, its moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid water known as dew.[2] When this occurs through the air's contact with a colder surface, dew will form on that surface.[3]
The dew point is affected by the air's humidity. The more moisture the air contains, the higher its dew point.[4]
When the temperature is below the freezing point of water, the dew point is called the frost point, as frost is formed via deposition rather than condensation.[5] In liquids, the analog to the dew point is the cloud point.
- ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Dew Point vs Humidity". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "How To: Eliminate Window Condensation". 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Dew Point". Glossary – NOAA's National Weather Service. 25 June 2009.
- ^ John M. Wallace; Peter V. Hobbs (24 March 2006). Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey. Academic Press. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-0-08-049953-6.
- ^ "Frost Point". Glossary – NOAA's National Weather Service. 25 June 2009.