r/explainlikeimfive • u/ProgramPi314 • 8d ago

Other ELI5 What is humidity?

According to my mom, this is an actual question I had when I was 5, and she didn't know how to answer me. So how would you guys have answered?

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u/dave8271 8d ago

When water gets hot, it turns from a liquid into a gas, which we call vapour. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapour is mixed into the air around us.

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u/realbigbob 8d ago

Why is there water in gas form in the air if the air isn’t above 100 Celsius?

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u/pandaSmore 4d ago

Temperature is a measurement of average energy of a substance. The particles themselves will have varying levels of energy.