Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: No
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
In air-conditioning and psychrometrics, three commonly used temperatures are dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature, and dew-point temperature. The question checks whether you can distinguish between dew-point and wet-bulb properly, because mixing these terms leads to serious design and control errors in HVAC calculations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Dew-point temperature is defined as the temperature at which air becomes saturated (relative humidity equals 100%) when cooled at constant moisture content, and condensation begins. Wet-bulb temperature is the equilibrium temperature attained by a wetted wick thermometer due to evaporative cooling into the surrounding airstream. These are different processes and usually yield different temperatures except at saturation.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
On a psychrometric chart, moving horizontally left at constant humidity ratio reaches the saturation curve at T_dp. In contrast, lines of constant T_wb are diagonally sloped; T_wb equals dry-bulb temperature only at 100% relative humidity.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Assuming wet-bulb indicates condensation; assuming dew-point equals wet-bulb at all states; ignoring the constant-humidity-ratio condition for dew-point measurement.
Final Answer:
No
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