Why Are Thermometers Important

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Why Are Thermometers Important?

Thermometers are used to measure the temperature and this is a very important part of weather forecasting. Many thermometers come in a glass tube that contains a liquid usually mercury or alcohol. The liquid expands when it’s hotter and contracts when it is colder.Dec 14 2020

How does a thermometer help us?

How does a thermometer tell the temperature? A thermometer measures temperature through a glass tube sealed with mercury that expands or contracts as the temperature rises or falls. The tiny size of the bulb and micro-fine size of the tube help the mercury reach the temperature of what it is measuring very rapidly.

Why was the invention of the thermometer important?

Hundreds of years ago scientists realized they could measure changes in temperature by using primitive glass devices filled with liquids that expanded when they were warm and contracted when they cooled. Alcohol and mercury were the liquids most commonly used.

What are the 2 important things that he does upon using thermometer?

A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb of a mercury-in-glass thermometer or the pyrometric sensor in an infrared thermometer) in which some change occurs with a change in temperature and (2) some means of converting this change into a numerical value (e.g. the visible scale …

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What are the three uses of thermometer?

– To measure the outdoor temperature. – To measure body temperature during a physical exam at the doctors. – To measure body temperature when someone is ill to determine if he/she has a fever. – To measure the temperature of an oven.

What is thermometer short answer?

A thermometer is a tool that measures temperature — how hot or cold something is. Thermometers are used to see if you have a fever or tell you how cold it is outside. Made up of thermo (heat) and meter (measuring device) the meaning of the word thermometer is pretty straightforward.

What is the function of thermometer in laboratory?

Laboratory thermometers measure temperature with a high level of precision for applications such as experiment monitoring instrument calibration materials testing and maintaining a sterile work environment.

What are the qualities of a good thermometer?

Answer:

high thermal capacity.
easy readability.
high sensitivity.

What is the basic principle of thermometer?

These liquid thermometers are based on the principal of thermal expansion. When a substance gets hotter it expands to a greater volume. Nearly all substances exhibit this behavior of thermal expansion. It is the basis of the design and operation of thermometers.

How do we define temperature?

Temperature is the measure of hotness or coldness expressed in terms of any of several scales including Fahrenheit and Celsius. Temperature indicates the direction in which heat energy will spontaneously flow—i.e. from a hotter body (one at a higher temperature) to a colder body (one at a lower temperature).

When might you need to use a thermometer in the lab?

5. When might you need to use a thermometer in the lab? To make sure the experimental and the control groups are at the same temperature. To record the temperature at which a reaction occurs.

Which thermometer is the best?

Best thermometer overall: iProven Forehead and Ear Thermometer DMT-489. Best thermometer on a budget: Vicks Comfort Flex Thermometer. Best infrared non-contact thermometer: iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer PT3. Best thermometer for daily testing: Kinsa Quick Care Smart Thermometer.

Why is mercury used in thermometer?

Mercury is the only one in liquid state at room temperature. It’s used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion. … It also has a high boiling point which makes it very suitable to measure higher temperatures. Also it has a shiny appearance and doesn’t stick to the glass surface of glass.

Does a good thermometer have high thermal capacity?

A thermometer has a low thermal capacity.

What happens in a thermometer?

A thermometer has a glass tube sealed at both ends and is partly filled with a liquid like mercury or alcohol. As the temperature around the thermometer’s bulb heats up the liquid rises in the glass tube. … When it is hot the liquid inside the thermometer will expand and rise in the tube.

What precaution we must take while reading the thermometer?

Precautions while using clinical thermometer

Who invented thermometer first?

1612: Santorio Santorio – the first thermometer

The Italian Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) is generally credited with having applied a scale to an air thermoscope at least as early as 1612 and thus is thought to be the inventor of the thermometer as a temperature measuring device.

Why does temperature exist?

The most common answer is something like this: Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object. When temperature increases the motion of these particles also increases. … The temperature is related to the average kinetic energy—not the total kinetic energy.

What temperature is a fever?

The following thermometer readings generally indicate a fever: Rectal ear or temporal artery temperature of 100.4 (38 C) or higher. Oral temperature of 100 F (37.8 C) or higher. Armpit temperature of 99 F (37.2 C) or higher.

What are the 3 types of temperature?

There are three temperature scales in use today Fahrenheit Celsius and Kelvin.

Why is it important to handle the thermometer carefully?

To ensure accuracy mercury thermometers should be shaken down prior to every use and left in place for at least three minutes. They require careful storage to prevent breakage and thorough cleaning after each use to prevent cross-infection.

What is important to remember to achieve an accurate reading of the thermometer?

When you read the temperature on a thermometer it should be vertical and your eyes should be level with the top of the liquid in the glass tube. Avoid handling the thermometer when you take your readings. The heat from your hands will transfer to the glass causing its temperature to rise.

How are thermometers used in experiments?

Place the end of the thermometer with the reservoir of liquid in the testing medium. For example if you are testing the temperature of ice water place the reservoir in the water below the ice but not touching the bottom of the flask or cup the water is held in. This will garner a more accurate temperature.

Is 99 a fever?

A factor that needs to be considered is how you took your temperature. If you measured your temperature under your armpit then 99°F or higher indicates a fever. Temperature measured rectally or in the ear is a fever at 100.4°F (38°C) or greater. An oral temperature of 100°F (37.8° C) or more is a fever.

Can a smartphone be used as a thermometer?

With the right app your Android smartphone or tablet can function as a thermometer using your device’s built-in temperature sensor. However even if your mobile device is not equipped with a temperature sensor there is still a way to get a decent temperature reading for the surrounding air.

How much is a thermometer?

Digital oral thermometers cost between $5.50 and more than $20 depending on the amount of time required for a reading and features of the thermometer. For about $8 Vicks[3] offers an oral digital thermometer with a 30-second read out.

Why alcohol is used in thermometer?

Alcohol thermometers are used rather than mercury thermometers in very cold regions because alcohol has a lower freezing point than mercury. … If it freezes it won’t move in the tube so a liquid must be used that has a freezing point that’s lower than the temperature it’s measuring.

Is it illegal to have a mercury thermometer?

Those days have passed. Since 2001 20 states have banned mercury “fever thermometers” for medical use and regulations tighten every year. … But as of today the federal government has more or less killed the mercury thermometer in the United States—NIST has announced it will no longer calibrate mercury thermometers.

What is the red liquid in a thermometer?

alcohol

Mercury is a silver-white to gray substance. If your thermometer is filled with a red liquid your thermometer contains red dyed alcohol or mineral spirits and not mercury.

Why is it important for a thermometer to be small in comparison to the substance it is measuring?

Why is it important for a thermometer to be small in comparison to the substance it is measuring? It should not appreciably alter the temperature of the substance being measured.

Why is the ground cold at night?

Atmospheric Controllers Of Local Nighttime Temperature. The ground routinely starts to cool after the sun sets because it emits more radiation than it gains from the atmosphere. In other words the temperature of the ground starts to lower because it runs a radiation deficit (more losses than gains).

Why do we use thermometer liquid that is made from a material of low specific heat capacity?

Mercury is preferable in liquid in glass thermometers because it has a low specific heat capacity and therefore does not need to have much heat transferred to/from it when it changes temperature.

How do thermometers work without mercury?

Spirit thermometers use a non-toxic alcohol instead of mercury to register the temperature. … Digital thermometers contain a device called a thermoresistor. The thermoresistor has an electrical current running through it and the resistance or how freely the current can flow changes with temperature.

How does a thermometer work particle theory?

When heated the molecules of the liquid in the thermometer move faster causing them to get a little further apart. This results in movement up the thermometer. When cooled the molecules of the liquid in the thermometer move slower causing them to get a little closer together.