When it comes to measuring humidity, hygrometer is the number tool that we use to get accurate results. But nowadays, there are now several types of hygrometer and one of those is psychrometer. Often times, hygrometer and psychrometer are being confused by users. Hence, this article will go through some differences between hygrometer and psychrometer.
Hygrometer
Basically, hygrometer is a tool used in measuring the moisture content of the air. This means that the dew point and relative humidity are being measured. There are lots of various means that measuring humidity can be done. The traditional and most common is the use of a wet and dry bulb thermometer. As the water starts to evaporate from the wet bulb, it has the ability to absorb heat from the thermometer and it is utilized in order to measure the relative humidity. Basically, you can read hygrometer depending on the type of device you are using. There are several types of hygrometer. But what makes them similar is that they all use a circular gauge or dial. There is a sensor inside the hygrometer that moves the needle along the dial. As a result, it points at the right relative humidity level. So simply explained, hygrometer is used in order to calculate the amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere. It also tells the user in simple terms the level of relative humidity as it also pertains to the air pressure and current temperature present in a particular location. There are different types of hygrometer: electrical hygrometers, dew point hygrometers. Hair-tension hygrometers, metal-paper coil hygrometers, chilled mirror hygrometers, gravimetric hygrometers, thermal hygrometer, humidity cards, hygrometer calibration, digital hygrometer calibration, and analog hygrometer calibration. Each type has its own way of measuring the humidity present in a certain location.
Psychrometer
Technically speaking, psychrometer is one of the types of hygrometer. This tool utilizes 2 different thermometer namely wet bulb and dry bulb. It is considered as one of the best indoor thermometer and humidity gauge. Psychrometer is also known as an instrument that most of the people used in their household. Basically, it calculates the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or also known as relative humidity. It counts both the dry bulb and the wet bulb temperatures. It is also considered as the simplest kind of hygrometer when it comes to measuring humidity. The dry bulb is the bulb exposed to the air in order to calculate the temperature. On the other hand, the wet bulb is covered with a cloth wick and dupped in water until it becomes available to use. This type of hygrometer is invented by Ernst Ferdinand August. Psychrometer also comes in a sling form and it is known as an instrument that measures the dew point and relative humidity in an area
Overall. it is important to know the difference between hygrometer and psychrometer so you can fully utilize the right tool that will help you measure humidity in your location.
