Hygrometer or hydrometer?

By Peter Childs2008-03-01T00:00:00

Source: iStock

Peter Childs, University of Limerick, investigates words in chemistry. In this issue: hygrometer or hydrometer?

Do you know the difference between a hygrometer and a hydrometer? A hygrometer measures humidity, the amount of water vapour in air. A hydrometer, on the other hand, measures the density or specific gravity (SG) of a liquid by floating in the liquid. The word hygrometer is derived from the Greek hygros meaning wet or moist, whereas hydro- comes from the Greek for water, hydro (as in hydrated and hydrogen).

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