1. What is Wet Bulb Temperature?

Wet bulb temperature (T_w) is the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled by evaporating water into it at constant pressure. It's a critical measure in meteorology, HVAC, and heat stress assessment.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the NOAA wet bulb equation:

Where:

• \( T \) — Dry bulb temperature (°C)
• \( RH \) — Relative humidity (%)
• \( T_w \) — Wet bulb temperature (°C)

Explanation: This empirical equation approximates wet bulb temperature from dry bulb temperature and relative humidity, based on NOAA psychrometric data.

3. Importance of Wet Bulb Temperature

Details: Wet bulb temperature is crucial for assessing heat stress on humans, predicting evaporative cooling potential, and determining thermal comfort. It's particularly important in industrial safety and climate studies.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter dry bulb temperature in °C and relative humidity in percentage (0-100%). The calculator will compute the corresponding wet bulb temperature.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is wet bulb different from heat index?
A: Wet bulb measures actual cooling potential through evaporation, while heat index is a perceived temperature combining temperature and humidity.

Q2: What's a dangerous wet bulb temperature?
A: Sustained T_w above 35°C is considered unsurvivable as it prevents human cooling through sweating.

Q3: Why use NOAA's method?
A: NOAA's empirical equation provides accurate results without requiring complex psychrometric calculations.

Q4: How does altitude affect wet bulb?
A: This calculator assumes sea level. At higher altitudes, the same T/RH would yield slightly different wet bulb temperatures.

Q5: Can this be used for weather forecasting?
A: Yes, meteorologists use wet bulb calculations to predict precipitation types (rain vs snow) and assess heat risks.