Lab Exercise: Dew Point and Relative Humidity

Purpose: To determine the dew and point and relative humidity in the
classroom, and find the current relative humidity outside.

Relative humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air

compared with the total amount of water vapor the air is capable of holding
at a given temperature. If the relative humidity is 50% at room temperature
then the air in the room is at half holding capacity.

Dew point is the temperature in which the air needs to cool for the current
water vapor in the air to condense into liquid, thus forming dew, collecting
on surfaces, and forming clouds. When the dew point temperature is below
the freezing point of water the term Frost Point is used.

Part I: Calculating Relative Humidity from Weather Data

Exercise I: Using Sling Psychrometer Data

In this part of the lab, we will find the dew point by using sling
psychrometer. Below is a set of reading from a sling psychrometer. Using
the dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures and Table I at the end of this lab
exercise find the relative humidity. First find the difference between the dry
bulb and the wet bulb by subtracting the wet bulb temperature from the dry
bulb temperature. This number is the wet bulb depression. Find the air
temperature on the left side of the table and read across the row until you are
under your calculated value for the wet bulb depression. (Example: For an
air temperature (dry bulb) of 20° C and a wet bulb value of 16° C. Yields a
value of 66% for the relative humidity.)

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Dry bulb temp.: 40.0°C 15.0°C 30.0°C -20.0°C -5.0°C

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Wet bulb temp.: 20.0°C 14.0°C 26.0°C -21.0°C -8.0°C

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Rel. humidity: ____ % ____ % ____ % ____ % ____ %

Exercise II: Finding the Dew Point from weather data.

Find the dew points for the following set of data using the same procedure in
Exercise I. Use Table II for find your dew points.

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Dry bulb temp.: 80.0°F 50.0°F 70.0°F 30.0°F 0°F

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Wet bulb temp.: 70.0°F 44.0°F 68.0°F 22.0°F -2.0°F

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Dew Point (in F°): ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Exercise III: Finding the dew point in the classroom.

Using the sling psychrometer, measure the wet bulb and dry bulb
temperature. First wet the wick on your sling psychrometer with water and
begin whirling. Do this for 30 seconds. Record the wet bulb and dry bulb
temperature. Find wet bulb depression by subtracting the wet bulb
temperature from the dry bulb temperature. Using a Dew Point Table,
estimate the dew point in the classroom. (You may use the Dew Point Table
in the back of your textbook.) It may be necessary to round the wet bulb and
dry bulb temperature to the closest value on the table to find the dew point.
Record your data.

Dry Bulb Temperature: ___________________ °C

Wet Bulb Temperature: ___________________ °C

Wet Bulb Depression: ___________________ °C

Exercise III: Dew Point Temperature: ________________ °C

Exercise IV: Finding Indoor and Outdoor Relative Humidity

Using the sling psychrometer, measure the wet bulb and dry bulb
temperatures. From theses two values, determine the relative humidity.
First, wet the wick on your sling psychrometer with the water and begin
whirling. Do this for 30 seconds. Record the wet and dry bulb
temperatures. Repeat at 30-second intervals until you have five separate
readings. You may need to moisten the wick after each reading. Record
temperature readings in the Data table below. Repeat the same test
outdoors. You may use your book or Table III.
Data Table:

Indoor Da ta

Wet Bulb Dry Bulb

1st 30 Seconds

2nd 30 Seconds

3rd 30 Seconds

4th 30 Seconds

5th 30 Seconds

Average Average
Wet bulb Dry Bulb
Temperature Temperature

Wet Bulb
Depression

Relative Humidity

Outdoor Da ta

Wet Bulb Dry Bulb

1st 30 Seconds

2nd 30 Seconds

3rd 30 Seconds

4th 30 Seconds

5th 30 Seconds

Average Average
Wet bulb Dry Bulb
Temperature Temperature

Wet Bulb
Depression

Relative Humidity
Questions

1. Why does a beverage can “sweat” on a hot humid summer day?

2. Why do eye glasses fog over when entering a warm building on a cold
day?

3. Why do bathroom mirrors fog while you are taking a shower?

4. Why do you see a cloud form from a clothes dryer exhaust vent?

5. Explain why one may see fog over a lake during the morning, whereas
the highway nearby is clear.
Table I. Relative Humidity from Wet Bulb – Dry Bulb Data In Celsius
Table II: Dew Point using Wet bulb and Dry Bulb Data in Fahrenheit
Table III: Relative Humidity Table in Celsius