2.1.2

Measuring Temperature

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The Key Properties of Thermometers

When using different thermometers, we should consider 3 things.

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Linearity

  • Linearity means that thermometers should have the same distance between all their intervals.
  • This means that a change of 1 °C in temperature should always change the length of the column by the same amount.
  • The size (diameter) of the thermometer should be constant all the way up the thermometer.
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Sensitivity

  • Sensitivity describes the level of precision in measurement.
    • More sensitive thermometers can detect smaller changes in temperature.
  • If a thermometer has a smaller diameter, then a 1 °C change in temperature will cause a larger increase in the length of the column.
  • This increases the “sensitivity” of the thermometer.
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Range

  • If we know the volume of a liquid at two fixed points (for example 0 °C and 100 °C), then these two points constitute the range of a scale.
  • Because of linearity, it is possible to calculate how much the volume changes for a 1 °C change in temperature between these points.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Quantities & Units

2Measurement Techniques

3Kinematics

4Dynamics

5Gravitational Fields

6Deformation of Solids

7Thermal Physics

8Oscillations

9Communication

10Electric Fields

11Current Electricity

12Magnetic Fields

13Modern Physics

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