You do not know what is a hygrometer? Do you want to know what it is used for? In principle, it is a very specialized measuring instrument, so much so that it is probably not common knowledge, so we invite you to read this article to find out what it is.
Hygrometer, Instrument for measuring Humidity
In meteorological activity it is necessary to constantly measure the meteorological variables that determine the type of climate. The most relevant variables are atmospheric pressure, Temperature and Humidity and temperature, solar radiation, direction and strength of the winds, among others. Each of these meteorological variables generates valuable data about the weather and facilitates the possibility of making predictions about the Weather Elements and the kind of weather that will be in the following days.
What is a hygrometer used for?
The hygrometer is a device for calculating humidity, a tool that is used to calculate the volume of moisture that we can find in the air, soil and plants. It must be remembered that humidity is nothing more than the amount of aqueous vapor that is present in the environment. For humidity saturation to be achieved, a lower ambient temperature is required. In this way, the aqueous mist that is in the environment condenses and that is what causes the serene.
Now, if you want to be able to measure the volume of water vapor that exists in the air, you must use a hygrometer. There are several types of hygrometers, and this will depend on how they work, although all of them have been built for the same purpose, all related to the determination of Types of weather.
Main features, history and utilities
The hygrometer was an invention of the French physicist Guillaume Amontos in the year 1687. It was later renewed and perfected by Fahrenheit, in the middle of the XNUMXth century. It uses some sensors that appreciate and show the oscillation in the degrees of humidity, and it can be measured in a gas p in the free air.
The older ones were built with sensors that were of the mechanical class. These sensors transferred the measurements to components that are sensitive to variations in humidity, one of which was used was human hair.
But its applications are greater. They are used in activities as important as the preservation of food and products that are very vulnerable to excessive humidity, another activity in which they are used is in determining the proximity of eventual rains or when bad weather is going to occur.
Another important application that a hygrometer has is in the sanitization of places, such as offices, rooms or premises, to know how humid they are. And of course it has multiple applications in processes of various industries that need humidity, as occurs in the manufacture of some fabrics, paper and silk.
Necessary concepts about humidity
In order to know how a hygrometer, you need to be knowledgeable about various aspects of moisture and how it works. As an example, it can be pointed out that the true meaning of relative humidity is something that many individuals do not handle very well.
Water vapor originates through the various actions carried out by the human being and, in general, by any living being. Thus, water vapor is generated in houses through activities such as cooking food in the kitchen, hot showers, plant transpiration, breathing, among others.
This water vapor that is produced is absorbed by the air, depending on the conditions in which the environment is found, causing an increase in the moisture content in the air. Therefore, the largest volume of water vapor that can be found in air without saturation, that is, without condensing, will depend on the temperature of the environment.
Depending on the temperature of the air, the hotter it is, the greater the volume of water vapor it supports without becoming saturated with moisture. For that reason, relative humidity is the volume of water vapor found in the air and is determined as a percentage.
Another notion that is related to what we are narrating is the concept of absolute humidity. It is the volume of water vapor that can be found in a cubic meter of air and is expressed in grams per cubic meter.
The hygrometer also has the ability to measure the saturation point of the environment, depending on the measurement of the temperature there is. The saturation point is defined as the maximum amount of water vapor that can be present in water at a given temperature and pressure, without the water vapor condensing.
Hygrometer types
This will be determined by the type of operation it has and by its own characteristics, which is why there are the following types:
Hair hygrometer
It is a hygrometer that is also called a hygroscope. It works very simply. It consists of using a lock of hair intertwined as a rope. The normal thing is that the hair reacts to the different changes in the humidity that are in the environment, rolling on itself or vice versa.
When this activity occurs, a needle moves that shows the amount of humidity found in the environment, but it is not an instrument that is capable of indicating it in percentages. Therefore, this type of hygrometer is not capable of measuring relative humidity.
Absorption hygrometer
This kind of hygrometer acts through some chemical elements called hygroscopic, because they are capable of capturing and releasing the humidity found in the environment, depending on what is present. Hygroscopic substances are those that come together with drops of water vapor and are what form rain.
Electric hygrometer
It works with two spirally wound conductors. Between the two conductors there is a cloth that will be moistened with lithium chloride mixed with water. When alternating current is applied to the conductors, the fabric will heat up and some of the water that is mixed with the lithium chloride will evaporate.
With each temperature, a balance is created between the amount of water that evaporates due to the heating of the fabric and the amount that is absorbed by the humidity in the environment, because it is mixed with lithium chloride, which is a very hygroscopic material. . Depending on how the situation changes, the degree of humidity in the environment is determined with greater accuracy.
Condensing hygrometer
It is a meter that is used to establish the proportion of humidity found in the air. For that purpose it uses the temperature at which a polished area becomes foggy by artificially lowering the temperature.
Digital hygrometers
They are the most innovative out there and use electronic circuitry to change the small voltage changes that are caused by changing various physical quirks into numbers displayed on the screen. Certain models of these hygrometers use some substance whose particular property is that they change their color according to the presence of humidity in the environment. Thanks to this, more accurate humidity measurements can be obtained.
As you may have realized, the hygrometer is an instrument that has many applications in meteorology and not only in that field, but in the daily life of many industries, buildings and homes. It is relevant to be able to know what the humidity level is in the environment and for this there is nothing better than using a hygrometer to be able to measure it.