When relative humidity reaches 100%, the air is described as?

When relative humidity reaches 100%, the air is described as saturated. This means that the air has reached its maximum capacity to hold water vapor at a given temperature and pressure. At this point, any additional moisture will not remain in the form of vapor; instead, it will begin to condense into liquid water, leading to the formation of dew, fog, or clouds.

Understanding saturation is crucial, especially in meteorology and marine environments, as it affects weather patterns, visibility, and overall comfort. For instance, when air is saturated, it often feels more humid because the body's ability to cool itself through evaporation of sweat is diminished.

In the context of the incorrect options, desaturated refers to air that has not reached its moisture capacity, while dew point is the temperature at which air reaches saturation and condensation begins. Condensed refers to the state of water vapor when it changes into liquid form, but it does not specifically denote the condition of the air when relative humidity is at 100%. Thus, the correct answer, saturated, accurately reflects the state of the air at that level of humidity.