1. What is Wet Bulb Temperature?

Wet bulb temperature (T_w) is the lowest temperature that can be reached by evaporative cooling of a ventilated thermometer bulb. It represents how effectively humans can cool themselves through sweating at given environmental conditions.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses an iterative approximation:

Where:

• \( T \) — Dry bulb temperature (°C)
• \( T_w \) — Wet bulb temperature (°C)
• \( RH \) — Relative humidity (as decimal, e.g., 50% = 0.5)

Explanation: The equation is solved iteratively to approximate the wet bulb temperature based on the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity.

3. Importance of Wet Bulb Temperature

Details: Wet bulb temperature is crucial for understanding human heat stress, designing cooling systems, and predicting dangerous heat conditions. At wet bulb temperatures above 35°C, humans cannot effectively cool themselves.

4. Using the Calculator

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

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is this approximation?
A: This iterative method provides a reasonable estimate but may differ slightly from more complex psychrometric calculations.

Q2: What's the difference between wet bulb and dew point?
A: Wet bulb temperature accounts for evaporative cooling potential, while dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated.

Q3: Why is wet bulb temperature important for human health?
A: It indicates the lowest temperature our bodies can achieve through sweating, helping assess heat stress risks.

Q4: What wet bulb temperature is dangerous?
A: Sustained wet bulb temperatures above 31°C are dangerous, and above 35°C can be fatal as the body can't cool itself.

Q5: How does altitude affect wet bulb temperature?
A: This calculator assumes sea level conditions. At higher altitudes, the relationship changes slightly due to lower atmospheric pressure.