- #36
sophiecentaur
Science Advisor
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I don't "fear" them but many of the terms that are used can be misinterpreted. They are gradually leaching out (e.g. sensible heat) but they give a doubtful model. The law of Partial Pressures doesn't include "absorb" because each molecule does its own thing. Fact is that there are many examples of practical Science that work fine but actually doesn't involve 'understanding'. Moist Air is one of them; it describes an apparent behaviour but doesn't explain it. The chart and tables you quote are mechanical methods of predicting a result and, these days, can almost certainly be replaced by an App. Very useful, of course but PF usually tries to look a bit deeper and avoid rôte methods. I don't understand why you are rejecting an explanation and terminology that makes more actual sense, in general.Baluncore said:If you fear the complexity of RH, the psychrometric chart, or the steam tables,
Using the term 'absorb' is, to my mind, putting things the wrong way round. If you evacuated the room and just allowed water vapour from a 'room temperature' source the pressure in the room would be the same as the partial pressure and concentration of water molecules as under normal circumstances. The popular 'sponge' model wouldn't explain that and that's what leaves me unsatisfied.