Thermometers

There are many kinds of thermometers such as mercury thermometer, ear thermometer, water thermometer or basal thermometer. You can learn how to build a thermometer.

A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. There are many kinds of thermometers. The most common type of thermometer that is seen in a first aid kit is the mercury thermometer or the rectal thermometer. A mercury thermometer is quite easy to read, although there are many people that have a difficult time reading one. Many learn more about thermometers with the aid of a thermometer worksheet.

A laser thermometer is uses laser to detect the temperature of an object from a distance by the amount of infrared energy emitted by the object in question. Many chefs find laser thermometers indispensable in their kitchens. A much simpler thermometer for kitchen use is the Taylor oven thermometer, a large face dial thermometer that is accurate up to 500 degrees.

There are directions available, for those interested, on how to build a thermometer. A goal thermometer is almost what its name implies. It is a thermometer with "mercury" to show the progress made in reaching a certain goal. A perfect example is to use a thermometer for a charity raising money and the goal is to reach the top of the thermometer. Each time more money is raised, the mercury goes up higher.

Ear thermometers were used quite frequently for checking the temperature of young children. The ear thermometer worked by detecting infrared radiation from the ear drum. They were quite popular at first because of their speed, but lost popularity with the medical profession because there was inaccuracy depending on the amount of ear was or the technique used, etc.

The temporal artery thermometer, on the other hand, is favored for its extreme accuracy when placed over the temporal artery, a major artery of the head. This Exergen temporal thermometer, which scans like a video camera, is held against the head, it emits out infrared heat, and it locks in the highest temperature it senses.

A basal thermometer is an ultra-sensitive thermometer used to take the base body temperature, which is the lowest normal body temperature. The basal temperature is usually taken upon waking up as it occurs most accurately during sleep. They have been used frequently for keeping track of a woman's fertiliy cycle because the basal body temperature rises when ovulation occurs. They are also effective with natural family planning.

Galileo is the one who invented the water thermometer. He is linked with a couple for the credits for the thermometer invention. The water thermometer was the start of what we now luckily have in a regular mercury thermometer. The long stem thermometer, which is very accurate, is used for measuring the temperature of solids or liquids and is very useful for nurseries.