Dew-Point Temperature and Wet-Bulb Temperature:
Two Measures of Humidity
Dew-Point Temperature
Definition: Dew-point temperature is the hypothetical temperature to which air must be cooled (at constant pressure) so that the air's maximum capacity to "hold" water vapor (which depends on the temperature) drops down to equal the actual amount of water vapor present in the air (that is, so that the air becomes saturated, without adding any water vapor to it).
Deduction: The lower the dew-point temperature is, the less water vapor must be present in the air. (That is, the dew-point temperature is a measure of the actual water-vapor content of the air.)
Interpretation: The bigger the difference between the air's temperature and its dew-point temperature (that is, the greater the amount by which you have to cool the air at constant pressure to saturate it), the greater must be the difference between the maximum capacity of the air to hold vapor and the amount of vapor actually in the air. Hence, the difference between the temperature and the dew-point temperature is a measure of how close to saturation the air is.
It turns out, very roughly, that each 10°C (or roughly 20°F) difference between the temperature and dew-point temperature represents a factor of two difference between the amount of water vapor in the air and the maximum capacity of the air to hold water vapor. This can give us a rough sense of the relative humidity.
For example, if the temperature were 80°F and the dew-point temperature is around 60°F, the air would be able hold roughly twice as much water vapor as it actually has in it. (The relative humidity would therefore be around 50%.)
If the dew-point temperature were only 40°F (that is, an additional 20°F lower), then there would be roughly an additional factor of two less water vapor in the air compared to what the air could hold, for a total factor of four less. (The relative humidity would then be only about 25%.)
The dew-point temperature is difficult to measure directly. Instead, it's most common to measure the wet-bulb temperature and use it (together with the temperature) to determine the relative humidity and dew-point temperature.
Wet-Bulb Temperature
Definition: Wet-bulb temperature is the temperature that would be measured by an ordinary liquid-in-glass thermometer with (1) water on its liquid-reservoir "bulb" (the "wet bulb"); and (2) air blowing steadily past it. It is the lowest temperature achievable solely by evaporating water into the air.
When air blows past the wet thermometer bulb, water evaporates from the bulb steadily, because the air next to the bulb is constantly being replaced with "fresh" air. That is, no air stays next to the bulb long enough to become more nearly saturated, which would reduce the evaporation rate.
As water evaporates steadily from the wet bulb, sensible heat is converted into latent heat, thereby removing heat from the wet bulb at a steady rate, cooling it.
However, as the wet-bulb's temperature drops below the air temperature, heat conducts from the air into the cooler bulb. As the bulb cools farther and farther below the air's temperature, conduction increases and the wet bulb gains heat faster and faster by conduction.
After a short time, the increasing heat gain by conduction will finally equal the steady heat loss by evaporation, and the temperature of the bulb will stop falling and hold steady---by definition at the wet-bulb temperature.
Deduction: Since water evaporates faster into air that is relatively drier, it follows that the wet bulb loses heat by evaporation faster when the air is relatively drier. This means that the wet bulb must cool relatively more before the rate of heat gain by conduction finally catches up and equals the rate of heat loss by evaporation. That is, the final, steady temperature (the wet-bulb temperature) will be proportionately lower than the air temperature when the air is relatively drier.
Interpretation: The bigger the difference between the temperature of the air and the wet-bulb temperature, the relatively drier the air must be. Hence, the difference between the temperature and the wet-bulb temperature is a measure of how close to saturation the air is.
We can measure the wet-bulb temperature and the air temperature using a sling psychrometer (demonstrated in class). Using tables such as those in Appendix D of your textbook, we can use these measurements to look up the relative humidity and the dew-point temperature.