dew point

dew point

[′dü ‚pȯint]

(chemistry)

The temperature and pressure at which a gas begins to condense to a liquid.

(meteorology)

The temperature at which air becomes saturated when cooled without addition of moisture or change of pressure; any further cooling causes condensation. Also known as dew-point temperature.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

dew point

If the temperature is +30°C and there is 15 gm of water vapor per kg of dry air and the air is cooled to +20°C, saturation will occur. +20°C is the Dew point. Similarly, Dew point is +33°C if air with 5 gm of water vapor per kg is cooled till it becomes saturated.

The temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled at constant pressure and constant-water-vapor content for saturation to occur. It is the temperature at which the saturation vapor pressure of the parcel is equal to the actual vapor pressure of the contained water vapor. Any further cooling usually results in the formation of dew or frost. Also called the dew-point temperature. When this temperature is below 0°C, it is sometimes called the frost point.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Dew Point

 

the temperature at which air becomes saturated by water vapor when cooled at a given moisture content and a constant pressure. The condensation of water vapor begins when the dew point is reached in the air or on objects in contact with the air.

The dew point is one of the major characteristics of humidity and can be calculated from the temperature and humidity of the air or determined directly with a condensation hygrometer. If the relative humidity is less than 100 percent, the dew point is always less than the actual air temperature. The dew point decreases with decreasing relative humidity.

At saturation, that is, at a relative humidity of 100 percent, the actual temperature coincides with the dew point. Thus, at a temperature of 15°C, the relative humidities of 100, 80, 60, and 40 percent correspond to the dew points of 15.0°, 11.6°, 7.3°, and 1.5°C, respectively.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.