Name: how thermometers measure heat
Uploaded: 2023-04-30T12:29:09.000Z
Duration: 1 min 22 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

High School

Chemistry

CHEM.13

CHEM.13.D

Thermometers and Temperature Scales

A thermometer is a device used to measure the temperature of a body or object.
Some of the most important types of thermometers are liquid-in-glass, bimetallic, digital, infrared, and gas thermometers.
Thermometers measure temperature on three main scales: Celsius, &#160;Fahrenheit, and Kelvin. These scales were designed based on the freezing and boiling points of water.
On the Celsius temperature scale, the freezing point of water is labeled as zero, whereas the boiling point of water is labeled as one hundred. There are one hundred degree intervals between these two points, which is why it is also known as the centigrade scale.
Here, the unit of temperature is degree Celsius.
On the Fahrenheit temperature scale, the freezing point of water is indicated at 32, while the boiling point is 212. The unit of temperature on this scale is degree Fahrenheit.
Temperature on the Fahrenheit scale can easily be converted to Celsius by employing the conversion equation.
The Kelvin temperature scale is an absolute temperature scale. Here, zero kelvin indicates absolute zero, which is the lowest possible temperature.

thermometers and temperature scales

Any physical property that depends consistently and reproducibly on temperature can be used as the basis of a thermometer. For example, volume increases with temperature for most substances. This property is the basis for the common alcohol thermometer and the original mercury thermometers. Other properties used to measure temperature include electrical resistance, color, and the emission of infrared radiation.
As many physical properties depend on temperature, the variety of thermometers is remarkable. In the most common type of thermometer, the alcohol, containing a red dye, expands more rapidly than the glass encasing it. When the thermometer&#8217;s temperature increases, the liquid from the bulb is forced into a narrow tube, producing a large change in the length of the column for a small change in temperature. Another common type of thermometer is the pyrometer. A pyrometer measures the infrared radiation (whose emission varies with temperature) from the source and quickly produces a temperature readout. Infrared thermometers are also frequently used to measure body temperature by gently placing them in the ear canal. Such thermometers are more accurate than alcohol thermometers placed under the tongue or under the armpit.
Thermometers measure temperature according to well-defined scales of measurement. The three most common temperature scales are Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin. Temperature scales are created by identifying two reproducible temperatures, most commonly the freezing and boiling temperatures of water at standard atmospheric pressure.

Any physical property that depends consistently and reproducibly on temperature can be used as the basis of a thermometer. For example, volume increases ...

Education

JoVE Core

Physics

Unit 1

Temperature and Heat

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

how thermometers measure heat

Thermometers measure temperature by using physical properties that change in a predictable way. One common example is volume. For most substances, volume increases as temperature rises. That idea is used in alcohol thermometers and in the original mercury thermometers.

Other thermometer designs use different temperature-sensitive properties. Some measure electrical resistance, color, or the emission of infrared radiation. The alcohol thermometer is a common example. It contains red-dyed alcohol that expands faster than the glass around it. As the liquid warms, it moves from the bulb into a narrow tube. That creates a large change in the length of the liquid column for a small temperature change.

A pyrometer is another type of thermometer. It measures infrared radiation from a source, and its output changes with temperature. It can give a temperature readout very quickly. Infrared thermometers are also used to measure body temperature in the ear canal. They are more accurate than alcohol thermometers used under the tongue or under the armpit.

Thermometers use temperature scales to turn measurements into numbers. The three most common scales are Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin. These scales are built from two reproducible temperatures. The freezing and boiling points of water at standard atmospheric pressure are the most common reference points.

How Thermometers Measure Heat

temperature and thermal equilibrium

Heat, Temperature, and Everyday Energy

Heat and temperature are key ideas in thermodynamics and in everyday life. People often connect temperature with hot and cold, but science gives it a more precise meaning. Temperature is the quantity measured with a thermometer. It is also linked to the average translational kinetic energy of particles. Heat is different from temperature. Heat is energy that moves from one place or material to another because there is a difference in temperature. That difference in temperature keeps heat...

zeroth law of thermodynamics

Thermal Equilibrium and the Zeroth Law

The zeroth law of thermodynamics explains thermal equilibrium between objects. If object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is also in equilibrium with object C. This transitive relationship is the key idea behind the law. A simple example uses metal blocks and a metal plate at room temperature. A cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on the plate. Over time, the cold block and the plate reach thermal equilibrium, and...

Thermometers measure temperature by using physical properties that change in a predictable way. One common example is volume. For most substances, volume increases as temperature rises. That idea is used in alcohol thermometers and in the original mercury thermometers. Other thermometer designs use different temperature-sensitive properties. Some measure electrical resistance, color, or the emission of infrared radiation. The alcohol thermometer is a common example. It contains red-dyed...

gas thermometers and the kelvin scale

Kelvin Temperature and Gas Thermometer Standards

Kelvin temperature is the absolute scale used in science, and it starts at absolute zero. That zero point matches the lowest possible temperature, where molecular motion reaches zero or the minimum allowed by quantum mechanics. Scientists use this scale because some physical quantities, such as the volume of an ideal gas, depend directly on absolute temperature. The Kelvin scale is part of the SI system of units, so its definition is more precise than simply using water’s freezing and boiling...

thermal expansion

Thermal Expansion in Air, Water, and Solids

Thermal expansion is the change in size or volume of a material as its temperature changes. A common example is the alcohol inside a thermometer. As the temperature rises, the alcohol expands and shows the change. Heated air also expands. It becomes less dense than the cooler air around it, so the surrounding air pushes it upward. This is why steam and smoke rise and why hot air balloons float. The same effect happens in liquids and gases, and it helps move heat upward in homes, oceans, and...

thermal stress

How Temperature Changes Create Stress

Thermal stress is the stress that builds up when an object changes temperature but cannot expand or contract freely. If the object would expand without restraint, the stress is compressive. If it would contract, the stress is tensile. This stress from heating or cooling can become large enough to cause damage. Engineers often reduce it by designing parts so they can move as temperature changes. Highway blocks, for example, are separated by gaps so thermal stress does not build up. When gaps...

thermal expansion and thermal stress: problem solving

thermal-expansion-and-thermal-stress-problem-solving

Golden Gate Bridge Thermal Expansion

Thermal expansion and thermal stress are shown through the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge faces temperatures from -15 °C to 40 °C. At its coldest, the main span is 1275 m long. Assuming the bridge is made entirely of steel, the example asks for the change in its length across this temperature range. To solve the problem, the known values must be identified first. The initial length is 1275 m. The coefficient of linear expansion for steel is 12 x 10 -6 /°C, and the change in temperature is 55...

heat flow and specific heat

Heat Units and Specific Heat

Heat is energy transferred because of a temperature difference, and it can change an object’s temperature. Since heat is energy, its SI unit is the joule (J). Heat transfer is the movement of energy from one place or material to another, and it plays a role in home heating, cooking, and many industrial processes. Two common units for heat are the calorie and the kilocalorie. A calorie (cal) is the energy needed to change the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C, specifically between 14.5 °C and...

phase changes

Heat and Phase Change Energy

Heat and phase change energy explain why substances melt, freeze, boil, and condense. A solid turns into a liquid during melting, also called fusion. The reverse process is freezing. A liquid turns into a gas during evaporation. The reverse process is condensation. Each substance changes phase at specific temperatures. The melting point is the temperature where a substance melts or freezes. The boiling point is the temperature where a substance boils or condenses. These temperatures depend on...

calorimetry

Heat Exchange in an Insulated System

Calorimetry studies heat exchange in an insulated system. A calorimeter is a container that prevents heat transfer in or out. Scientists use calorimetry to measure heat and specific heat capacity. A calorimetry problem is any situation where the objects are thermally isolated from their surroundings. The key idea comes from conservation of energy. During heat transfer, the heat gained by the colder object must equal the heat lost by the hotter object. A simple example is water poured into a...

mechanisms of heat transfer i

Three Ways Heat Moves Between Objects

Heat transfer happens when there is a temperature difference. It can move fast, like through a cooking pan, or slowly, like through the walls of a picnic ice box. Heat transfer appears in many everyday situations, so it is hard to find a place where it does not occur. There are only three ways heat is transferred: conduction, convection, and radiation. A fireplace shows all three at once. Radiation carries most of the heat into the room. Conduction also moves heat into the room, but much more...

mechanisms of heat transfer ii

Convection and Radiation in Heat Transfer

Convection and radiation are two major ways heat moves. In convection, thermal energy is carried by the large-scale flow of matter. Warm air and water rise because they are less dense, so ocean currents and large-scale atmospheric circulation move heat from the tropics toward the poles and move cold air from the poles toward the tropics. Earth’s rotation changes these moving air currents. It interacts with the flow and helps produce the eastward movement of air in the temperate zones.

conduction, convection and radiation: problem solving

conduction-convection-and-radiation-problem-solving

Heat Transfer Calculations with Conduction, Convection

Heat transfer calculations with conduction and convection use the temperature difference to find the rate of heat flow. Radiation can also be part of the process. The main idea is that heat moves only because one area is hotter than another, and a larger temperature difference leads to faster transfer. To solve a heat transfer problem, first identify the type of transfer involved. It may be conduction, convection, radiation, or a combination of all three. Next, write down the unknown...

radiation: applications

Earth’s Energy Balance and Greenhouse Effect

Earth’s energy balance and the greenhouse effect help explain its average temperature. Earth is in radiative contact with both the Sun and dark space. It receives almost all of its energy from solar radiation, and it reflects some of that energy back into outer space. Dark space is very cold, about 3 K, so Earth also radiates energy into it. Heat can move quickly from soil and grasses, and frost can form on clear summer evenings, even in warm latitudes. In a first approximation, Earth’s...

absorption of radiation

Radiation Heat Transfer and Thermographs

Radiation heat transfer depends on temperature, surface area, and emissivity. The Stefan-Boltzmann law describes the rate of heat transfer by emitted radiation. In this law, σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, A is the object’s surface area, and T is its temperature in kelvins. The fourth-power dependence on absolute temperature makes radiation highly sensitive to small temperature changes. Even a slight rise in temperature can change the emitted heat a lot. That sensitivity is why radiation...

key terms and concepts

See how thermometers use expansion, infrared radiation, and other temperature-sensitive properties to measure temperature on Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales.

How Thermometers Measure Heat | JoVE K12

physics

JoVE Core Physics introduces the theory and application of fundamental physics topics, including kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, statics, waves, and acoustics, with concise and easy-to-understand animated videos. Additionally, the scientist-in-action videos demonstrate the application of related concepts in classical and original research experiments performed in today's laboratories worldwide.

Energy Basics

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First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy Conservation

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Internal Energy

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Quantifying Heat

Thermal Energy&#160;

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Enthalpy

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Thermochemical Equations

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Standard Enthalpy of Formation

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Enthalpies of Reaction

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Spontaneity

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Third Law of Thermodynamics

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Standard Entropy Change for a Reaction

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CHEM.13.A

Constant Pressure Calorimetry

Calorimetry is a technique used to measure the amount of heat involved in a chemical or physical process or to measure the heat transferred to or from a ...

Constant Volume Calorimetry

Calorimeters are useful to determine the heat released or absorbed by a chemical reaction. Coffee cup calorimeters are designed to operate at constant ...

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Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Measure Changes in Enthalpy

Source: Laboratory of Dr. Terry Tritt &#8212; Clemson University
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CHEM.13.B

CHEM.13.C

Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium

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Gas Thermometers and the Kelvin Scale

The definition of temperature in terms of molecular motion suggests that there should be a lowest possible temperature, where the average kinetic energy ...

Thermal Expansion

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Thermal Stress

If the temperature of an object is changed while it is prevented from expanding or contracting, the object is subjected to stress. The stress is ...

Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving

San Francisco&#39;s Golden Gate Bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from -15 &#176;C to 40 &#176;C. At its coldest, the main span of the bridge is ...

Heat Flow and Specific Heat

Heat is a type of energy transfer that is caused by a temperature difference, and it can change the temperature of an object. Since heat is a form of ...

Phase Changes

Phase transitions play an important theoretical and practical role in the study of heat flow. In melting or fusion, a solid turns into a liquid; the ...

Specific Heat

The specific heat capacity of a substance refers to the energy required to increase the temperature of one gram of that substance by one degree Celcius. ...

Science concepts. The student understands the energy changes that occur in chemical reactions. The student is expected to:

How Thermometers Measure Heat

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