Measurement of temperature
- Temperature is measured using a physical property that varies with temperature
- A thermometer is any device used to measure temperature
- Each type of thermometer uses the physical property of a material that varies with temperature, for example:
- The density of a liquid
- The volume of a gas at constant pressure
- Resistance of a metal
- E.m.f. of a thermocouple
- Each type of thermometer is calibrated at two or more known temperatures (commonly the boiling and melting points of water, 0 oC and 100 oC respectively) and the scale is divided into equal divisions
The density of a liquid
- A liquid-in-glass thermometer depends on the density change of a liquid (commonly mercury)
- The thin glass capillary tube contains a liquid that expands with temperature
- The scale on the side of the tube is measured based on the length of liquid within the tube
A liquid-in-glass thermometer
As the bulb is heated, the liquid expands and moves along the capillary tube
Volume of a gas at constant pressure
- The volume of an ideal gas is directly proportional to its temperature when at constant pressure (Charles’s law)
V ∝ T
- As the temperature of the gas increases, its volume increases and vice versa
- A gas thermometer must be calibrated when the temperature of a gas at a certain volume is known
- A temperature scale can be determined depending on how quickly the gas expands with temperature
Resistance of a metal
- Recall that electrical resistance changes with temperature e.g. the resistance of a filament lamp increases when the current passing through it also increases
- For metals: resistance increases with temperature at a steady rate
- For thermistors: resistance changes rapidly over a narrow range of temperatures
- As a thermistor gets hotter, its resistance decreases
- A thermistor can be used to measure a range of temperatures
- The relationship between the resistance and temperature of a thermistor is non-linear
- The graph of temperature against resistance is a curved line, so the thermistor has to be calibrated
Graph of resistance against temperature
As the temperature of a thermistor increases, its resistance decreases.
E.m.f. of a thermocouple
- A thermocouple is an electrical device used as the sensor of a thermometer
- A thermocouple has two wires of different, or dissimilar, metals attached to each other to create a junction at one end
- The other ends of the wires are connected to a voltmeter
- When this junction is heated, an e.m.f. is produced between the two wires and measured by the voltmeter
- The greater the difference in temperature between the wires, the greater the e.m.f
Diagram showing a thermocouple
A thermocouple consists of two dissimilar wires connected together
- A thermocouple requires calibration since the e.m.f. does not vary linearly with temperature
- The graph against e.m.f. and temperature is a positive, curved line
Graph showing e.m.f against temperature
The e.m.f. and temperature are not directly proportional in a thermocouple.
Examiner Tip
Remember to relate how the temperature is measured for different types of thermometer back to the scenario in the question. For example, make sure you say: the temperature increases as the volume of gas increases or the temperature increases as the e.m.f. between the two wires increases.