Experiment No.

5 Measurement of Humidity

OBJECTIVES:

1. To be able to determine the psychrometric properties of air (specific humidity,

relative humidity, dew point temperature, enthalpy, and specific volume) using
data obtained with the use of hygrometer and sling psychrometer.
2. To be familiar with the use of psychrometric chart.
3. To know how to use the hygrometer and sling psychrometer
4. To know what humidity is.

THEORY:

To be detailed study of the composition of air, which is generally a mixture of

gases and water vapor, is of such importance that it constitutes the separate science of
psychrometry. Dry atmospheric air (without water vapor) is a mixture of several gases
consisting of about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen by volume. A small amount of carbon
dioxide and minute traces of other gases such as hydrogen, helium, neon and argon
comprises the remaining 1%. The composition of dry air is relatively the same
everywhere the amount of water vapor in the air however, varies greatly with respect to
locality and weather conditions. Actual condition dictates that there is no such thing, as
dry air exists. Air in its natural form is a mixture of dry gases and water vapor, hence the
barometric pressure may be considered as the sum of two pressure; 1. The partial
pressure exerted by dry gases and; 2. Partial pressure exerted by water vapor. When
partial pressure exerted by water vapor is known, the saturation temperature of water
vapor also known as dew point temperature can be obtained from steam table.
To determine various properties of air, the psychrometric chart is used. Readings
on psychrometric chart are based on wet bulb and dry bulb temperature of air. The dry
bulb temperature is the temperature of the air vapor mixture read with dry a dry
thermometer, while wet bulb temperature is the temperature taken from a thermometer
whose bulb is surrounded by a wet gauge or cloth as air blown over it. Other properties
available on psychrometric chart are enthalpy, specific volume, relative humidity ration
and the sensible heat factor.

APPARATUS:
 Hygrometer, sling psychrometer and stop watch

HYGROMETER BAROMETER SLING PSYCHROMETER

PROCEDURE:

A. Hygrometer
1. Fill up water container of hygrometer.
2. Wrap bottom of wet bulb thermometer with a piece of cloth and submerged into
a water container.
3. Place the hygrometer vertically into a chosen room for duration about five
minutes before obtaining the dry and wet bulb temperature readings.
4. Using psychrometric chart, determine the values needed to complete data sheet.

B. Sling Psychrometer
1. Pour water on a piece of cloth and attached it to the bottom part of wet bulb
thermometer.
2. Whirl sling psychrometer rapidly for at least two minutes before taking note of
temperature reading.

REPORT:
1. Do the different stations give the same temperature readings? Explain any
differences.
2. Define following terms.
2.1. Absolute humidity
2.2. Relative humidity
2.3. Humidity ratio
2.4. Saturation ratio
3. What is a wet bulb depression? Show your computation for wet bulb depression
for each trial.
4. Discuss Daltons Law on partial pressure.
5. Determine the dew point temperature of an air sample at 1.0251 bar and whose
dry air components exert pressure at 101.108 kPa.

ANSWERS TO QUESTION:
1.at me lab the atm. Pressure reading is 30.48 in.Hg.and the hygrometer have dry
and wet bulbs and the readings are 27 and 25 C and the sling psychrometer also
have dry and wet bulb and the readings are 28 33 and 25.83 C.At 4th floor engg
building the atm.pressure reading is 30.5 in. Hg.and the dry and wet bulb for the
hygrometer readings are 30 and 28 C,and the readings for dry and wet bulb for the
sling psychrometer are 30.56 and 28.33C.At gym the atm. Pressure reading is
30.54 and the dry and wet bulb for the hygrometer readings are 31 and 29C and
the readings for dry and wet bulbs in sling psychrometer are 31.11 and 28.33C.At
tyk ground floor the atm.pressure reading is 30.32 and dry and wet bulbs readings
for the hygrometer are 31 and 28C,and the dry and wet bulbs readings for sling
psychrometer are 30.28 and 27.5C .At tyk library lobby the atm.pressure reading is
30.465in.hg.and the dry and wet bulbs readings for the hygrometer are 31 and
28Cand the dry an wet bulb readings for the sling psychrometer are 30.83 and
27.5C.the differences are when the station was more crowded then temperature
will be high than the less crowded.
2. Define following terms.
2.1. Absolute Humidity The amount of water vapor present in a unit volume of
air, usually expressed in grams per cubic meter.
2.2. Relative Humidity - The amount of water vapor present in air expressed as a
percentage of the amount needed for saturation at the same temperature
2.3. Humidity Ratio - is sometimes referred to as moisture content or the
mixing ratio. It is the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air
2.4. Saturation Ratio The ratio of the actual specific humidity to the specific
humidity of saturated air at the same temperature.
 3. The wet bulb depression is the difference between the dry-bulb temperature(Air
temperature) and the wet-bulb temperature. ... If there is 100% humidity, dry-
bulband wet-bulb temperatures are identical, making the wet-bulb
depression equal to zero in such conditions. It is used as a measure of the
relative humidity of air.
4. In chemistry and physics, Dalton's law (also calledDalton's law of partial pressures)
states that in a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the
sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases.
5.11.98C

DISCUSSION:
For the experiment no.5,Engr.bautista discuss first about the experiment and also
discuss on how to use the equipments and how to get the measure of the
experiment.The first place that we were task to measure the humidity was the ME
Lab, the barometer gave us an atmospheric pressure reading at 30.48 in. Hg. Since
the Hygrometer have 2 bulbs which are the dry bulb and wet bulb, the readings were
27C and 25C respectively. And also the Sling Psychrometer have 2 bulbs too. After
we whirled it, the readings were 28.33 C for dry bulb and 25.83C for wet bulb. We
moved to our next destination which is in the 4 th Floor of the Engineering building, the
barometer gave us an atmospheric pressure reading at 30.5 in. Hg. And the
Hygrometer reads 30C for dry bulb and 28C for wet bulb. The reading in the Sling
Psychrometer was 30.56C for DB and 28.33C for WB. The atmospheric pressure
reading in the Gym was 30.54 in. Hg and the reading of Hygrometer was 31C for DB
and 29C for WB. The Sling Psychrometer has a reading of 31.11C for DB and
28.33 C for WB. We jumped in to the TYK ground floor, the barometer gave us an
atmospheric pressure reading at 30.32 in. Hg. The Hygrometer reads 31C for DB
and 28C for WB, and also the Sling Psychrometer reads 30.28C for DB and 27.5C
for WB. The last place that we must get the humidity was in the TYK library, the
barometer reads 30.465 in. Hg, the hygrometer reads 31C for DB and 28 for WB,
the Sling Psychrometer reads 30.83C for DB and 27.5C for WB. After that, we go
back to the classroom and our instructor discussed how to use the Psychrometric
Chart to get the dew point, enthalpy and the specific volume. And lastly, we
computed the missing data that are needed in the table.

CONCLUSION:

In this experiment that we conducted, we are able to understand what is humidity all
about.Humidity is a quantity representing the amount of water vapor in the
atmosphere or a gas. And we learned also on how to use the hygrometer and sling
psychrometer. I noticed that the Dry bulbs of this apparatus has a larger readings
than the Wet bulbs. This experiment helps us to determine the different properties of
air, the specific humidity, relative humidity, dew point temperature, enthalpy, and the
specific volume. In this experiment, I learned that the dew point temperature is the
temperature at which the air can no longer hold all of the water vapor which is mixed
with it, and some of the water vapor must condense into liquid water and I think that
is why we have rains. We also learned how to use the psychrometric chart properly.
We must gather first the datas that are needed to use this chart and plot the points to
be able to determine the dew point temperature, enthalpy and volume of a dry air. I
therefore conclude that this experiment will help us if we are going to work in a power
plant.

REFERENCES:

Thermodynamics by Engr. F.G. Tadique (4th edition)

Engineering Sciences and Allied Subjects by Tiong, Rojas, Capote

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/gases-and-kinetic-molecular-
theory/ideal-gas-laws/a/daltons-law-of-partial-pressure

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=what+is+wet+bulb+depression&oq=what+i
s+wet+bulb+depre&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l2.16135j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UT
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