Thermometers

-a mechanical or electrical device

for measuring temperature
REMEMBER: temperature is the AVERAGE speed of the
particles!
Temperature Scales

Farhrenheit
The Right Device for the Job
-aregular laboratory thermometer is not
always the best device to use

Ex. Lab Thermometers

have a scale that goes
from -20 degrees
Celsius to 110 degrees
Celsius

In what situations would this pose a problem?

-thermometers have been developed to suit
almost every purpose
-most thermometers have these three parts:

i) SENSOR a material which is affected by the change in

temperature ex. water gets heated

ii) -the sensor produces a SIGNAL information about the

temperature ex. water rising up/down the tube

iii) -the signal affects a RESPONDER light, pointer, or

other mechanism that use the signal
ex. water is read on the
scale
Four Types of Thermometers
not all thermometers are created
equal

Some have different properties that

allow them to work better than others
under certain conditions
1. THERMOCOUPLE
two different metals (usually copper and iron)
that are twisted together
when the metals are heated, a small amount of
current electricity is produced
the larger the current of
electricity, the hotter the
temperature!

USES: -measuring very high

temperatures
-stoves, furnaces
2. BIMETALLIC STRIPS
-relies on the fact that different metals expand at
different rates as they warm up.

-by bonding two different metals together, you can

make a simple electric controller that can withstand
fairly high temperatures. This sort of controller is often
found in ovens.

By bonding two different metals together, you can make

a simple electric controller that can withstand fairly high
temperatures. This sort of controller is often found in
ovens.
3. RECORDING THERMOMETER
-records the temperature of an area over a long period
of time
-a pen, connected to a bimetallic strip, records the temp
on a rotating drum

-as the bimetallic strip flexes, it moves the needle up or

down based on the paper
-can be used to measure temp over days,
weeks, even years!!
4. INFRARED THERMOGRAMS

-a device (camera) that

measures the amount of
radiant energy given off by
an object

-can tell the temperature

of an object from a great
distance away

-hotter objects - yellows, reds and whites

-colder objects blues, purple, and black
 Used for:

Identifying where houses are losing

heat

Finding where motorized

parts are overheating
Where electrical devices have a short
Identifying weather patterns
Exploring outer space.
No suspects Suspected image-2nd

Can you spot the

person in this picture
who has the flu?