How to Use Virtual Temperature Calculator
The Virtual Temperature Calculator answers a meteorological question: at what dry-air temperature would dry air have the same density as the moist air sample you have? That answer is the virtual temperature Tv.
- Enter dry-bulb temperature T — In K or °C.
- Enter mixing ratio w — In kg/kg or g/kg.
- Read Tv — The Virtual Temperature Calculator returns Tv and the increment Tv − T.
Formula & Theory — Virtual Temperature Calculator
Tv = T · (1 + 0.61 · w)| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tv | Virtual temperature (K) |
| T | Dry-bulb temperature (K) |
| w | Water-vapor mixing ratio (kg/kg) |
The coefficient 0.61 ≈ (Mdry/Mvapor − 1) where Mdry = 28.97 g/mol and Mvapor = 18.02 g/mol.
Assumptions and Limits
The Virtual Temperature Calculator assumes ideal-gas behaviour for dry air and water vapor. The simple form ignores liquid water content; if condensed water exists, use the density temperature instead.
Use Cases for Virtual Temperature Calculator
- CAPE and CIN — Compute parcel buoyancy correctly in skew-T diagrams.
- Aviation weather — Adjust performance calculations for humid days.
- Boundary-layer studies — Identify buoyantly unstable layers.
- Education — Connect humidity to air density.
The Virtual Temperature Calculator is essential whenever moist-air buoyancy must be compared to dry-air properties.