dry- and wet-bulb hygrometer

dry- and wet-bulb hygrometer

An instrument to measure the dew point, relative humidity, and vapor pressure. It essentially consists of two ordinary, accurate, mercury thermometers. One has thin muslin wrapped around it and is kept wet; it is called a wetbulb thermometer. The other is a dry-bulb thermometer. The dry-bulb thermometer shows the current temperature, whereas the wet-bulb thermometer shows a somewhat lower temperature, the result of the latent heat of evaporation, which depends on the relative humidity of the air. The difference between the two thermometers is a measure of the relative humidity of the air, which is calculated by a formula. Also called a psychrometer.