What Is Wet-Bulb Temperature?

Provided by: Probable Futures |Published on: March 30, 2025

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Synopsis

This article from Probable Futures explains wet-bulb temperatures, how they are measured, and how climate change will result in more days where the temperature plus humidity makes it feel hotter.
Students will learn about the ways that hot and humid conditions can affect human health and limit the ability of sweating to cool our internal body temperature.

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Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: Probable Futures

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This article is brief and thus can be implemented even during very short class periods.
The website has a very simple, uncluttered design, minimizing distractions so students can focus on the article's content.

Prerequisites

Students should understand evaporation.
Students should also have some background knowledge about climate change.

Differentiation & Implementation

The video What Is Wet Bulb Temperature? from The Kid Should See provides animations to further illustrate wet-bulb temperature, which can help students who need more clarification after reading the article.
Teachers can connect the idea of wet-bulb temperature to students' previous experiences by asking if they or their parents have ever checked the "feels like" or "heat index" temperature on their weather app. Teachers can ask students what factors make this temperature different from the actual temperature.
Teachers can pair this article with the interactive resource Heat: Maps of Temperature where students can explore how climate change impacts temperature changes around the world.

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Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Probable Futures

Probable Futures offers useful tools and maps to visualize climate change along with stories and insights to help people understand what those changes mean.

Scientist Reviewed

This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.

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What Is Wet-Bulb Temperature?

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

About the Partner Provider

Scientist Reviewed

Related Teaching Resources