DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Did you know as the temperature rises, air molecules speed up and spread out. This decrease in air density means there are fewer air molecules for a flying baseball to collide with. With less aerodynamic drag (air resistance) slowing the ball down, it maintains its velocity longer and travels further.
Many people think humid air is "heavy" because of how it feels on our skin, but molecularly, humid air is actually lighter and less dense than dry air.
Dry air is primarily composed of heavy nitrogen molecules. When humidity rises, water vapor enters the air, displacing those heavier gas molecules. Because water vapor is lighter, humid air offers even less drag to a baseball in flight.
When you combine high heat and high humidity, the reduction in air density is significant. A baseball hit at 100 mph on a hot, humid summer day can travel 15 to 20 feet farther than the exact same hit on a crisp, dry spring day. In a game of inches, that's often the difference between a routine warning-track flyout and a game-winning home run!Â
If you're wondering does this same principal work on the golf course, the answer is physics doesn't change for any sport. Yes, it works!Â
Stay safe out there in the higher humidity this weekend, stay sweaty and stay weather-aware.
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