UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

HUMIDITY MEASUREMENT
Experiment No. 3

Submitted by:
Name:
Student No.
Date:

Submitted to:
Engr. Edwin S. Bautista
Faculty-In-Charge

Experiment No. 3
TITLE: Measurement of Humidity

OBJECTIVES:

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

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

THEORY:

The 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
psychometry. 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 small traces of other gases such as hydrogen, helium, neon and argon
comprise the remaining 1%. The composition of dry air is relatively the same anywhere
but 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 pressures; (1) the partial
pressure exerted by dry gases and (2) the partial pressure exerted by water vapor.
When partial pressure exerted by water vapor is known, the saturation temperature of
water vapor is known as dew point temperature and 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 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,
specific humidity and the sensible heat factor.

Importance of measuring humidity in various sectors:

Human Health and Comfort

- Humidity impacts thermal comfort, as high humidity reduces the body's ability to cool
itself through sweat evaporation, increasing risks of heat stress and dehydration.
- Maintaining indoor humidity levels (30%-50%) prevents respiratory discomfort, dry
skin, and mold growth.

Industrial Applications
- Humidity control ensures product quality in industries like food processing,
pharmaceuticals, and electronics. For example, excess humidity can cause spoilage or
defects like sugar crystallization on chocolate.
- Advanced sensors measure humidity accurately under extreme conditions (-40°C to
+180°C), ensuring efficiency in manufacturing processes.

Agriculture
- Monitoring humidity helps optimize greenhouse environments and protect crops from
diseases caused by excessive moisture. It also reduces water waste and improves plant
growth.

Weather Forecasting
- Humidity influences rainfall intensity and storm formation. Higher humidity levels often
lead to heavier precipitation.
- It plays a role in energy transfer through water vapor condensation, which is vital for
storm development.

Energy Efficiency
- Controlling humidity in buildings enhances HVAC system performance, reducing
energy consumption and improving comfort.

Animal Welfare
- High humidity stresses animals by impairing their ability to regulate body temperature,
negatively affecting reproduction and productivity (e.g., dairy cattle).
PROCEDURE:
Hygrometer
1. Position the thermometer for a duration of 3 minutes and take the dry bulb
temperature of the chosen station.
2. Fill up water container of hygrometer.
3. Wrap bottom of wet bulb thermometer with a piece of cloth and submerge into a
water container.
4. Place the hygrometer vertically into a chosen room for duration about five
minutes before obtaining wet bulb temperature reading.
5. Using psychrometric chart, determine the values needed to complete data sheet.

REPORT and ANSWERS to the REPORT:

1. Define following terms.

1.1. Absolute humidity
1.2. Relative humidity
1.3. Humidity ratio
1.4. Saturation ratio

2. Discuss Dalton’s Law on partial pressure.

3. A sample of air has a dry bulb of 30 deg C and a wet bulb of 25 deg C.
Considering standard condition, obtain the following using psychrometric chart:
a. specific humidity
b. enthalpy
c. relative humidity

4. A mixture of dry air and water vapor is at a temperature of 20 0C with a

surrounding pressure of 29.92 in. Hg. The dew point is 14 0C. Using the
psychrometric chart, obtain the following:
a) Relative humidity
b) Specific humidity
c) Enthalpy of air in kJ/kg. dry air
d) Specific volume of air in m3 per kg dry air.

5. Do the different stations give the same temperature readings? Explain any
differences.

6. What is a wet bulb depression? Explain your answer.

Data:

SLING RELATIVE
STATIONS PLACE HYGROMETER PSYCHROMETER HUMIDITY
DIFFERENCE
DB WB % RH DP h v DB WB %RH

1 ME Lab
Patm =
Engineering Bldg
2 4thFloor
Patm =
UE GYM
3 Patm =

UE Field
4 Patm =
TYK, Library Lobby
5 Patm =

Note: (a) Dry bulb (DB), wet bulb (WB) and dew point (DP) in 0C.
(b) Enthalpy, h in kJ/kg dry air
(c) Specific volume, v in m3/kg dry air

Name:
Date:
DISCUSSION:
According to the data that we collected among the areas in the campus namely
Mechanical engineering laboratory, engineering building 4th floor, Ue gym, Ue
field and in TYK library lobby, in Ue Gym is the highest record in dry bulb, wet
bulb and in dew point. This was due to its low in ventilation mostly and the place
is crowded with the people mostly engaging in physical activity that we know
their bodies are exerting heat that can contribute to overall heat in the place, in
terms of relative humidity this was lowest as well due to the directly proportional
to the temperature and pressure. While the lowest recorded among the 5 places
that we tested is inside the ME Laboratory, this was because there is low
temperature and as in pressure because the room where we tested is
airconditioned which means the when the temperature is lower, the relative
humidity is lower because the water cannot evaporate unlike in hot places, the
evaporation of water is what we call humidity or moisture content in air. Also,
there is almost no difference in the measurement of sling Psychrometer and
hygrometer, but the hygrometer gives much more accurate than hygrometer in
terms of the range of the measuring the exact amount of the data, although the
human errors is still one factor of inaccuracy that we need to recognize in doing
this type of experiment.

CONCLUSION:

REFERENCES: