It is the object of domestic use, most popular worldwide. For this reason, it has become a faithful companion on those nights when children have high temperatures. Discover in this article, everything you need to know about the thermometerWhat is it? How does it work? What types are there? And much more
What is a thermometer?
The thermometer is a device that allows knowing the temperature at which a system is located. These systems can be the human body, food, liquid substances and other gaseous forms.
Inside, they contain substances whose properties allow them to modify their state, in a controlled manner, in response to changes in Temperature and humidity, of the outside. Currently there are various types and models, which are used according to each need.
Its usefulness is multiple, having as field of action, the branches of food packaging, laboratory thermometer and hospitals. But, on large scales, they are found in every home in the world.
After its discovery and having become popular as a device for home use, it allowed the prevention of medical complications, thanks to its easy use and reliability.
Knowing the temperature of the bodies is of great importance, with it you can avoid health complications, you can also prevent contamination in the manufacture of food, you can keep a record of changes in temperature, when scientific studies are carried out, among others. .
The measurement scales of thermometers are expressed in degrees and these are the most used:
- Celsius or °C.
- Fahrenheit or °F.
- Kelvin or °K.
Thermometer Operation
The measuring device is quite simple in its operation. It has at one of its ends a substance that stretches, in the case of manual thermometers and digital equipment, they have sensors.
But how does a thermometer work?, Well, simple, the substance or sensor responds to the thermal sensation, when it is introduced into a body. The elements used inside the device are Mercury and Alcohol.
For example, mercury reacts quite quickly to slight changes in temperature. When exposed to this thermal modification, it expands, distributing itself through the entire measurement scale.
Once the measuring device is removed from the body, to which the temperature measurement was made, the chemical element returns to its original state, retracting on the numbered scale.
types of thermometer
Different types of these devices are currently available and each of them was designed to fulfill different purposes.
liquid thermometers
These types of devices are among the most widely used. The reason for it being that way is its simplicity of use, how easy it is to store and that they last a long time, without having to replace them.
The liquid most used in these types of devices is the chemical element mercury, but you can also find them made of ethanol:
- Mercury thermometer:
Thanks to the ease of this liquid metal to expand, it is used in the manufacture of devices to measure temperature. Generally, this type of equipment is used in the domestic area and is still in force in some hospital networks.
Another liquid that is widely used today, after the ban on mercury, is alcohol, which is accompanied by a tincture so that it can be observed on the numerical scale of measurement.
Its invention was thanks to the Dutch physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Despite its environmentalist detractors, it is a fairly reliable and versatile instrument.
Electronics devices
Due to their great precision, they are ideal for those environments where it is necessary to make measurements, in the minimum temperature changes. They contain inside some sensors and electronic circuits that allow their optimal operation.
The most important electronic devices are: digital, Infrared thermometer, there are also waterproof and flexible probe types:
- Infrared thermometer:
Pyrometer or infrared devices are characterized in that they can measure the thermal emissions of bodies. They are the most modern devices for detecting changes in temperature. In those places, where those of conventional use cannot be used.
They are highly resistant, since they are exposed to places where thermal conditions are extreme and the bodies to be measured are in motion and far from the control point.
An advantage of these devices is that they do not require contact with the body to be measured and the reading is instantly available on its digital screen.
Its scope of action is concentrated in those companies specialized in foundry processes, large drying ovens, for large processors of ceramic pieces, among others.
There are different types of pyrometer devices, among them you can find:
- Photoelectric pyrometer, they calculate the changes of temperature, according to the bodies release the electrons.
- Optical pyrometer, can determine the temperature according to the color of the thermal emissions.
- Of total radiation, they base their operation on the magnitude of energy that comes out of the bodies.
- Infrared, capable of detecting thermal changes in bodies.
- Digital thermometers:
Electronic circuits and different special sensors are responsible for recording thermal variations, sending them to a memory that is responsible for transforming these data and displaying them in digits, on the screen designed for that purpose.
Its usefulness is in homes, hospital networks and some industries that require periodic temperature controls. They are easy to use and very comfortable.
gas thermometers
These types of devices base their operation on the ability of some gases to expand when they are subjected to high pressures. Normally the gases used are nitrogen, hydrogen and helium.
They have a behavior very similar to that produced in a mercury thermometer. That is, the element that makes up its interior reacts to the presence of a disturbing agent. In the case of mercury, it is stimulated by heat and gases, it is the pressure exerted on them.
Their use is basically industrial, they have as measuring structures a manometer-type head and an ampoule that contains the gas, which depending on the application that the measuring instrument will have, can be helium, nitrogen or hydrogen.
Specialized thermometers
They are all those devices that are designed and built to fulfill a specific task. They are generally used in laboratories specializing in the detection of diseases and in the development of new technologies.
Some of these thermometers are: cryometer, pill, globe, among others. Each of them are mentioned below:
- cryometer:
It is a very specialized device and is often used to measure temperatures in space, as it is designed to measure and record very low temperatures.
- Pill thermometer:
It is used in the training of high-performance athletes and by aerospace agencies for their astronauts. It is also used by some fire departments and rescue teams.
Although it does not offer temperature readings, it does help save the lives of rescuers and astronauts. When these devices are ingested in the form of capsules, they monitor the rise in body temperature and prevent damage to the brain and other organs.
- Nanothermometer:
It is a fairly advanced and technical device, which is used in the measurement and recording of temperature changes in living cells. Very useful in the study of cancer and other deadly diseases.
Crickets, thermometers and much more
The environment of the animal kingdom is in itself a box of surprises. And that despite the technological advances that man has managed to achieve, Mother Nature has a great advantage over humanity.
Many of the great inventions of man have come out of the observation of the environment. The way in which plants manage to survive severe attacks, the way in which animals manage to go unnoticed and many more examples.
Absolutely all living beings have defense or adaptation mechanisms against Weather elements and external changes. Each action of the environment produces a reaction of living beings.
For example, the cricket has the particularity of knowing when temperature changes occur, but it also makes them known, through certain sounds it emits.
Since ancient times, many farmers have known that the song of the crickets and the variations in temperature go hand in hand. If the weather is very hot, the sound that the cricket emits is more accelerated and, of course, of greater intensity.
If, on the other hand, the temperature decreases, the sound becomes almost inaudible and the rhythm of the song decreases. The experienced inhabitants of rural areas have been able to devise a system to calculate the temperature accurately, according to the data provided by the crickets.
Without the need for a thermometer, they can know the temperature degrees. It is enough to count the number of sounds emitted in a period of 8 seconds, to this result, they only add five and there they obtain the temperature.
They are the curiosities that nature has for the enjoyment of all and that perhaps you did not know.