Meteo 437  Atmospheric Physics II  (Cloud physics and chemistry)

Problem set 1

Solutions

 

 

Assigned:        17 January 2004 

Due:                27 January 2004

 

Use the constants in the Appendix in Bohren and Albrecht or in Rogers and Yau.  You can work with others, but be sure that you understand how to do the problems.

 

  1. What is the mass of dry air in 10 m3 at a pressure of 950 hPa and temperature of 300 K?

 

 

 

  1. What is the density of an air parcel that contains 1% water vapor at a pressure of 1000 hPa and 293 K?

We can determine the density of dry air and water vapor independently and then add them together.

 

 

  1. If the relative humidity is 75% and the temperature is 293 K, what is the saturation vapor pressure? What is the vapor pressure?

 

 

  1. If an air parcel with a temperature of 290 K and a relative humidity of 70% is raised from the surface adiabatically, at what altitude is the lifting condensation level?

Use the skew-T to solve this one.  Assume the surface pressure is 1000 hPa.  First find w; then find the intersection of the adiabat and the constant w lines.

 

 

 

 

  1. An ice cube (10 cm3) at 0oC, when completely melted, will lower the temperature of how much water from 90o C to 10oC?

Use conservation of energy.  The energy to melt the ice comes from the heat capacity of the warmer water.  Equate the energy required to melt the ice and warm the resulting water to the final temperature to the energy lost from the water.

 

 

 

 

  1. If the mixing ratio, w, is 0.01, and the total pressure is 850 hPa, what is the water vapor partial pressure?