Dew point
Overview
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor
Water vapor
Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water. It is one state of water within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice. Under typical atmospheric conditions, water vapor is continuously...
to condense
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
into liquid water. The condensed water is called dew
Dew
[Image:Dew on a flower.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Some dew on an iris in Sequoia National Park]]Dew is water in the form of droplets that appears on thin, exposed objects in the morning or evening...
when it forms on a solid surface. The dew point is a saturation temperature.
The dew point is associated with relative humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
. A high relative humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
indicates that the dew point is closer to the current air temperature.
Unanswered Questions
Encyclopedia
The dew point is the temperature
to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor
to condense
into liquid water. The condensed water is called dew
when it forms on a solid surface. The dew point is a saturation temperature.
The dew point is associated with relative humidity
. A high relative humidity
indicates that the dew point is closer to the current air temperature. Relative humidity of 100% indicates the dew point is equal to the current temperature and the air is maximally saturated with water. When the dew point remains constant and temperature increases, relative humidity will decrease.
The dew point is an important statistic for general aviation
pilots, as it is used to calculate the likelihood of carburetor icing
and fog
, and to estimate the height of the cloud base
.
At a given temperature but independent of barometric pressure, the dew point is a consequence of the absolute humidity, the mass of water per unit volume of air. If both the temperature and pressure rise, however, the dew point will rise and the relative humidity will lower accordingly. Reducing the absolute humidity without changing other variables will bring the dew point back down to its initial value. In the same way, increasing the absolute humidity after a temperature drop brings the dew point back down to its initial level. If the temperature rises in conditions of constant pressure, then the dew point will remain constant but the relative humidity will drop.
For this reason, the same relative humidity on a day when it's 80°F, and on a day when it's 100°F will imply that a higher fraction of the air on the hotter day consists of water vapor than on the cooler day, i.e., the dew point is higher.
At a given barometric pressure but independent of temperature, the dew point indicates the mole fraction of water vapor in the air, or, put differently, determines the specific humidity of the air. If the pressure rises without changing this mole fraction, the dew point will rise accordingly; Reducing the mole fraction, i.e., making the air less humid, would bring the dew point back down to its initial value. In the same way, increasing the mole fraction after a pressure drop brings the relative humidity back up to its initial level.
Considering New York (33 ft elevation) and Denver (5,130 ft elevation), for example, this means that if the dew point and temperature in both cities are the same, then the mass of water vapor per cubic meter of air will be the same, but the mole fraction of water vapor in the air will be greater in Denver.
uses evaporation of perspiration (sweat
) to cool down, with the cooling effect directly related to how fast the perspiration evaporates. The rate at which perspiration can evaporate depends on how much moisture
is in the air and how much moisture the air can hold. If the air is already saturated with moisture, perspiration will not evaporate. The body's cooling system will produce perspiration in an effort to keep the body at its normal temperature even when the rate it is producing sweat exceeds the evaporation rate. So even without generating additional body heat by exercising, one can become coated with sweat on humid days. It is the unevaporated sweat that tends to make one feel uncomfortable in humid weather.
The air that affects comfort is not the air where the thermometer and humidity meters are located. It is the air that is touching one's body. As that portion of air is warmed by body heat, it will rise and be replaced with other air. If air is moved away from one's body with a natural breeze or a fan, sweat will evaporate faster, making perspiration more effective at cooling the body. The more unevaporated perspiration, the greater the discomfort.
A wet bulb thermometer also uses evaporative cooling, so it provides a good analog for use in evaluating comfort level.
Discomfort also exists when the dew point is low (below around -30 °C). The drier air can cause skin to crack and become irritated more easily. It will also dry out the respiratory paths. OSHA
recommends indoor air be maintained at 68 to 76°F (20 to 24.5°C) with a 20-60% relative humidity (a dew point of 24 to 60°F).
Lower dew points, less than 10 °C (50 °F), correlate with lower ambient temperatures and the body requires less cooling. A lower dew point can go along with a high temperature only at extremely low relative humidity (see graph below), allowing for relative effective cooling.
Those accustomed to continental climate
s often begin to feel uncomfortable when the dew point reaches between 15 and 20 °C (59 and 68 F). Most inhabitants of these areas will consider dew points above 21 °C (69.8 °F) oppressive.
A well-known approximation used to calculate the dew point Td given the relative humidity
RH and the actual temperature T of air is:
where
where the temperatures are in degrees Celsius and "ln" refers to the natural logarithm
. The constants are:
This expression is based on the August–Roche–Magnus approximation for the saturation
vapor pressure of water in air as a function of temperature. It is considered valid for
and the relative humidity. This approach will be accurate to within about ±1 °C as long as the relative humidity is above 50%.
The equation is:
or
This can be expressed as a simple rule of thumb:
where in this case RH is in percent, and T and Td are in degrees Celsius.
The derivation of this approach, a discussion of its accuracy, comparisons to other approximations, and more information on the history and applications of the dew point are given in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
For temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit,
or
For example, a relative humidity of 100% means dew point is the same as air temp. For 90% RH, dew point is 3 degrees Fahrenheit lower than air temp. For every 10 percent lower, dew point drops 3 °F.
where:
For greater accuracy use the Arden Buck equation
to find the water vapor pressures.
.) The frost point for a given parcel of air is always higher than the dew point, as the stronger bonding between water molecules on the surface of ice requires more temperature to break.
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor
Water vapor
Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water. It is one state of water within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice. Under typical atmospheric conditions, water vapor is continuously...
to condense
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
into liquid water. The condensed water is called dew
Dew
[Image:Dew on a flower.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Some dew on an iris in Sequoia National Park]]Dew is water in the form of droplets that appears on thin, exposed objects in the morning or evening...
when it forms on a solid surface. The dew point is a saturation temperature.
The dew point is associated with relative humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
. A high relative humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
indicates that the dew point is closer to the current air temperature. Relative humidity of 100% indicates the dew point is equal to the current temperature and the air is maximally saturated with water. When the dew point remains constant and temperature increases, relative humidity will decrease.
The dew point is an important statistic for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
pilots, as it is used to calculate the likelihood of carburetor icing
Carburetor icing
Carburetor, or carb icing, is an icing condition which can affect any carburetor under certain atmospheric conditions. Carburetor icing occurs when there is humid air, and the temperature drop in the venturi causes the water vapor to freeze. The ice will form on the surfaces of the carburetor...
and fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
, and to estimate the height of the cloud base
Cloud base
This article refers to meteorology. For the airborne base of the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, see Cloudbase.The cloud base is the lowest altitude of the visible portion of the cloud...
.
For this reason, the same relative humidity on a day when it's 80°F, and on a day when it's 100°F will imply that a higher fraction of the air on the hotter day consists of water vapor than on the cooler day, i.e., the dew point is higher.
At a given barometric pressure but independent of temperature, the dew point indicates the mole fraction of water vapor in the air, or, put differently, determines the specific humidity of the air. If the pressure rises without changing this mole fraction, the dew point will rise accordingly; Reducing the mole fraction, i.e., making the air less humid, would bring the dew point back down to its initial value. In the same way, increasing the mole fraction after a pressure drop brings the relative humidity back up to its initial level.
Considering New York (33 ft elevation) and Denver (5,130 ft elevation), for example, this means that if the dew point and temperature in both cities are the same, then the mass of water vapor per cubic meter of air will be the same, but the mole fraction of water vapor in the air will be greater in Denver.
Relationship to human comfort
When the air temperature is high, the body's thermoregulationThermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different...
uses evaporation of perspiration (sweat
SWEAT
SWEAT is an OLN/TSN show hosted by Julie Zwillich that aired in 2003-2004.Each of the 13 half-hour episodes of SWEAT features a different outdoor sport: kayaking, mountain biking, ice hockey, beach volleyball, soccer, windsurfing, rowing, Ultimate, triathlon, wakeboarding, snowboarding, telemark...
) to cool down, with the cooling effect directly related to how fast the perspiration evaporates. The rate at which perspiration can evaporate depends on how much moisture
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
is in the air and how much moisture the air can hold. If the air is already saturated with moisture, perspiration will not evaporate. The body's cooling system will produce perspiration in an effort to keep the body at its normal temperature even when the rate it is producing sweat exceeds the evaporation rate. So even without generating additional body heat by exercising, one can become coated with sweat on humid days. It is the unevaporated sweat that tends to make one feel uncomfortable in humid weather.
The air that affects comfort is not the air where the thermometer and humidity meters are located. It is the air that is touching one's body. As that portion of air is warmed by body heat, it will rise and be replaced with other air. If air is moved away from one's body with a natural breeze or a fan, sweat will evaporate faster, making perspiration more effective at cooling the body. The more unevaporated perspiration, the greater the discomfort.
A wet bulb thermometer also uses evaporative cooling, so it provides a good analog for use in evaluating comfort level.
Discomfort also exists when the dew point is low (below around -30 °C). The drier air can cause skin to crack and become irritated more easily. It will also dry out the respiratory paths. OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
recommends indoor air be maintained at 68 to 76°F (20 to 24.5°C) with a 20-60% relative humidity (a dew point of 24 to 60°F).
Lower dew points, less than 10 °C (50 °F), correlate with lower ambient temperatures and the body requires less cooling. A lower dew point can go along with a high temperature only at extremely low relative humidity (see graph below), allowing for relative effective cooling.
Those accustomed to continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
s often begin to feel uncomfortable when the dew point reaches between 15 and 20 °C (59 and 68 F). Most inhabitants of these areas will consider dew points above 21 °C (69.8 °F) oppressive.
| Dew point °C | Dew point °F | Human perception | |
|---|---|---|---|
| > Higher than 26 °C | > Higher than 80 °F | Severely high. Even deadly for asthma Asthma Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath... related illnesses |
65% and higher |
| 24–26 °C | 75–80 °F | Extremely uncomfortable, fairly oppressive | 62% |
| 21–24 °C | 70–74 °F | Very humid, quite uncomfortable | 52–60% |
| 18–21 °C | 65–69 °F | Somewhat uncomfortable for most people at upper edge | 44–52% |
| 16–18 °C | 60–64 °F | OK for most, but all perceive the humidity at upper edge | 37–46% |
| 13–16 °C | 55–59 °F | Comfortable | 38–41% |
| 10–12 °C | 50–54 °F | Very comfortable | 31–37% |
| < 10 °C | < 49 °F | A bit dry for some | 30% |
Measurement
Devices called dew point meters are used to measure dew point over a wide range of temperatures. These devices consist of a polished metal mirror which is cooled as air is passed over it. The temperature at which dew forms is, by definition, the dew point. Manual devices of this sort can be used to calibrate other types of humidity sensors, and automatic sensors may be used in a control loop with a humidifier or dehumidifier to control the dew point of the air in a building or in a smaller space for a manufacturing process.Calculating the dew point
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
RH and the actual temperature T of air is:
where
where the temperatures are in degrees Celsius and "ln" refers to the natural logarithm
Natural logarithm
The natural logarithm is the logarithm to the base e, where e is an irrational and transcendental constant approximately equal to 2.718281828...
. The constants are:
- a = 17.271
- b = 237.7 °C
This expression is based on the August–Roche–Magnus approximation for the saturation
Saturation (chemistry)
In chemistry, saturation has six different meanings, all based on reaching a maximum capacity...
vapor pressure of water in air as a function of temperature. It is considered valid for
- 0 °C < T < 60 °C
- 1% < RH < 100%
- 0 °C < Td < 50 °C
Simple approximation
There is also a very simple approximation that allows conversion between the dew point, the dry-bulb temperatureDry-bulb temperature
The dry-bulb temperature is the temperature of air measured by a thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture. Dry bulb temperature is the temperature that is usually thought of as air temperature, and it is the true thermodynamic temperature. It is the...
and the relative humidity. This approach will be accurate to within about ±1 °C as long as the relative humidity is above 50%.
The equation is:
or
This can be expressed as a simple rule of thumb:
For every 1 °C difference in the dew point and dry bulb temperatures, the relative humidity decreases by 5%, starting with RH = 100% when the dew point equals the dry bulb temperature.
where in this case RH is in percent, and T and Td are in degrees Celsius.
The derivation of this approach, a discussion of its accuracy, comparisons to other approximations, and more information on the history and applications of the dew point are given in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
For temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit,
or
For example, a relative humidity of 100% means dew point is the same as air temp. For 90% RH, dew point is 3 degrees Fahrenheit lower than air temp. For every 10 percent lower, dew point drops 3 °F.
Closer approximation
A calculation used by NOAA is:where:
- RH is relative humidity in percentage and
is dew point in degrees Celsius
and 
are the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures respectively in degrees Celsius
is the saturated water vapor pressure, in units of millibar, at the dry-bulb temperature
is the saturated water vapor pressure, in units of millibar, at the wet-bulb temperatureWet-bulb temperatureThe wet-bulb temperature is a type of temperature measurement that reflects the physical properties of a system with a mixture of a gas and a vapor, usually air and water vapor. Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature that can be reached by the evaporation of water only. It is the...
is the actual water vapor pressure, in units of millibar
is "station pressure" (absolute barometric pressure at the site that humidity is being calculated for) in units of millibarBar (unit)The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(which is also hPaPascal (unit)The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
).
For greater accuracy use the Arden Buck equation
Arden Buck Equation
The Arden Buck equations are a group of empirical correlations that relate the saturation vapor pressure to temperature for moist air. The curve fits have been optimized for more accuracy than the Goff–Gratch equation in the range −80 to 50°C....
to find the water vapor pressures.
Frost point
The frost point is similar to the dew point, in that it is the temperature to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to be deposited on a surface as ice without going through the liquid phase. (Compare with sublimationSublimation
Sublimation may refer to:* Sublimation , the change from solid to gas without entering liquid phase* Sublimation , the transformation of emotions* Sublimation , a music album by Canvas Solaris-See also:...
.) The frost point for a given parcel of air is always higher than the dew point, as the stronger bonding between water molecules on the surface of ice requires more temperature to break.
See also
- Bubble pointBubble pointWhen heating a liquid consisting of two or more components, the bubble point is the point where first bubble of vapor is formed. Given that vapor will probably have a different composition than the liquid, the bubble point at different compositions are useful data when designing distillation...
- Carburetor heatCarburetor heatCarburetor, carburettor, carburator, carburettet heat is a system used in automobile and piston-powered light aircraft engines to prevent or clear carburetor icing. It consists of a moveable flap which draws hot air into the engine intake...
- Hydrocarbon dew pointHydrocarbon dew pointThe hydrocarbon dew point is the temperature at which the hydrocarbon components of any hydrocarbon-rich gas mixture, such as natural gas, will start to condense out of the gaseous phase. It is often also referred to as the HDP or the HCDP. The maximum temperature at which such condensation takes...
- PsychrometricsPsychrometricsPsychrometrics or psychrometry or Hygrometry are terms used to describe the field of engineering concerned with the determination of physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures...
- Thermodynamic diagramsThermodynamic diagramsThermodynamic diagrams are diagrams used by scientists and engineers to represent the thermodynamic states of a material and the consequences of manipulating this material...
External links
- What is the dew point?
- Dew point definition NOAA Glossary
- Dew point formula
- Often Needed Answers about Temp, Humidity & Dew Point from the sci.geo.meteorology
- Humidity calculator
- Dew point calculator in construction