Laboratory thermometers are high-precision and high-resistance instruments used to maintain a specific temperature in the lab or in different experiments to reduce errors.
These thermometers also help you ensure all the laboratory equipment is at a safe temperature which ensures their optimum performance as well as enhances the accuracy of your research.
Most laboratories use either a digital or analog thermometer designed to provide close to the actual temperature measurement while also having the ability to withstand extreme laboratory conditions.
This blog covers all about laboratory thermometers, their types, and their main uses to help you understand what makes them extremely crucial in such settings so keep on reading till the end.
What is a Laboratory Thermometer?
What is the Range of Laboratory Thermometer?
Types of Laboratory Thermometer
- Liquid in Glass Thermometer
- Bimetallic Strip Thermometer
- Thermistor
- Infrared Thermometer
- CPGT
- Thermocouple
- Pyrometer
What is the Use of Laboratory Thermometer?
What is a Laboratory Thermometer?
Here is how you can define a laboratory thermometer: It is a special type of thermometer that is designed to measure melting points, boiling points, freezing points, and the temperatures of the samples being prepared or the equipment being used in a laboratory.
The simplest type of laboratory thermometer consists of a glass tube with a bulb at one end. This bulb contains a thermometric material like mercury or alcohol. This special type of liquid must be visible and its rate of thermal expansion should be uniform. Additionally, this liquid should also have a low freezing point to give accurate results.
What is the Range of Laboratory Thermometer?
The range of a laboratory thermometer tells you about the maximum or minimum temperature that it can register. Most laboratory thermometers come in the range of -10oC to 110oC.
In terms of Fahrenheit, you can measure temperatures that are below 102.2 Fahrenheit and above 96.8 Fahrenheit with a standard laboratory thermometer.
Types of Laboratory Thermometer
Laboratory thermometers come in different shapes and sizes and they use different mechanisms to record temperatures. Following is a list of the most common types of thermometers that you normally see in labs:
- Liquid in Glass Thermometer
This is the most common type of thermometer that you normally come across in laboratories or clinics. It is nothing but a graduated long stem made from glass with a bulb at the bottom that contains a thermometric liquid.
This thermometric material is either mercury or alcohol that expands when it comes in contact with a surface with elevated temperatures. Both these types of thermometers are fragile and they need special care when handling.
Alcohol thermometers are considered somewhat safer as they do not contain toxic and poisonous mercury which can contaminate the environment if the thermometer breaks for some reason.
- Bimetallic Strip Thermometer
This type of thermometer has plenty of applications in laboratories and heavy industry. It consists of two different metals bonded together and it works on the principle of converting temperature into mechanical displacement.
As the temperature increases, the strip bends towards the metal with a lower temperature coefficient giving you an accurate reading.
- Thermistor
The word thermistor is the combination of thermal and resistance. It contains a material whose resistance varies with temperature and this change in resistance is then converted into a change in temperature.
These thermometers are ideal in applications where very small changes in temperature need to be measured to maintain consistency and accuracy in experimental work.
- Infrared Thermometer
This is another useful type of laboratory thermometer that consists of a lens whose job is to focus the infrared energy onto a detector. This detector converts the infrared energy into an electrical signal giving you the value of temperature in your desired units.
This type of laboratory thermometer is ideal for applications where you need to maintain a safe distance from the object or surface whose temperature you need to measure.
- CPGT
The constant pressure gas thermometer (CGPT) uses a special gas like nitrogen and can function at constant pressure and volume conditions. These are more accurate and sensitive than liquid in glass thermometers. You can use these to calibrate or adjust other thermometers as well.
- Thermocouple
This electric instrument consists of two conductors made from different materials and with a hot and cold junction. When the temperature rises, the hot junction heats up and a voltage appears. This voltage is proportional to the temperature difference between the hot and cold junction.
These thermometers can measure temperatures as high as 2300 K and as low as 500 K.
- Pyrometer
A pyrometer or a radiation thermometer is used to detect the surface temperature of an object based on the radiation emitted from it. These devices find applications in high-temperature furnaces where they can measure temperatures quickly and with high accuracy.
It consists of two main components i.e., an optical system and a detector. For measuring temperature, this thermometer senses the radiation emitted from a surface and converts it into temperature based on the intensity of the emitted radiation.
The best part of this thermometer is that it gives you a reliable temperature value without making contact with the surface or object under examination.
What is the Use of Laboratory Thermometer?
The following are the main uses of thermometers in a laboratory:
- They are used to measure melting, boiling, and freezing points.
- To check the temperature of solvents and chemicals during sample preparation.
- Determine the temperature inside the furnaces used in the laboratory.
- Regulating the temperature of transition from solid to gas, gas to liquid, solid to liquid, liquid to solid, and liquid to gas.
- For scaling the physical features of a material based on its temperature.
Conclusion
Laboratory thermometers are crucial for any type of lab as they can ensure better results and eliminate errors that can result from inappropriate temperatures in these settings.
These thermometers allow you to prepare better samples for medical and material research. Moreover, they can also help determine a material’s characteristics based on its current temperature and predict its future behavior.
In short, thermometers are indispensable tools in a laboratory that can directly impact the quality of work that is being done there. Visit Eagle Scales today to get the best weighing solutions for all kinds of personal, commercial, and laboratory applications.
