Name: Anish Patel Section: 8-5 #14

Celsius Thermometer

Objective: To identify the tool associated with the calibrated system used to measure
temperature and to explain its purpose in measurement as it relates to data collection.

To Do #1: Read the following on the history of the thermometer.

History of the Thermometer

The instrument used to measure temperature is a thermometer, a word derived from the Greek
thermos, meaning "hot," and metron, "measure."

Thermometers were simply used in meteorology, in horticulture, and sometimes for indoor use.

The lines on a thermometer indicate that the system is calibrated. It is generally calibrated
according to the best known fixed points on the temperature scale, the melting and boiling point
of pure water.
Anders Celsius should be recognized as the first to perform and publish careful experiments
aiming at the definition of an international temperature scale on scientific grounds. In his
Swedish paper "Observations of two persistent degrees on a thermometer" he reports on
experiments to check that the freezing point is independent of latitude (and also of atmospheric
pressure!). He determined the dependence of the boiling of water with atmospheric pressure (in
excellent agreement with modern data). He further gave a rule for the determination of the
boiling point if the barometric pressure deviates from a certain standard pressure.

Mercury A Health Hazard

http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/498849/jewish/The-Dangers-of-
Mercury.htm
To Do #2: Using the copy paper provided, reference pages 071 and 072, and the Celsius
thermometer, record the important facts about the Celsius thermometer in bulleted note
style and sketch a detailed image of a Celsius thermometer.

Affects your brain a lot

Can affect many people when they are working because if they are working in a
factory with items made of mercury, you can breath in the vapor and get very ill.
Mercury expands when it is near heat.
Mercury is found in different batteries, thermometers, fluorescent lights, vaccines,
dental amalgam, and in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda.

To Do #3: Explain if the following are examples of precision when collecting data or not
and explain why. Explanations should be typed in bold.

1. Recording a temperature directly after the thermometer is exposed to a new liquid.

This is an example of precision because if you measured the temperature a while after
the thermometer has been exposed to the new liquid, the temperature would be different.
Taking the thermometer directly after it has been exposed to a new liquid will be very
precise.

2. Submerging the thermometer in the liquid up to the line indicated on the thermometer.
This is an example of precision because the liquid touches all of the chemicals in the
thermometer, therefore the chemicals would expand with precision.

3. Letting the bulb touch the bottom of the glass container when measuring the temperature of
the liquid in the glass container.

This is not an example of precision because the light bulb is only touching the bottom of
the thermometer, making only the bottom liquid chemicals expand. If the light bulb
touched all of the liquid, the chemicals would expand with precision.
To Do #4: Complete the following questions in bold

1. What property does the Celsius thermometer measure and what unit can be identified with it?
The Celsius thermometer measures temperature. The Celsius thermometer can measure
C.

2. Fill-in: Each calibrated line on the Celsius thermometer is worth ________.

Each calibrated line on the Celsius thermometer is worth 1C

3. What is the maximum number of significant digits you could record when measuring
temperature with the Celsius thermometer? Explain why.
You can measure up to the ones because you dont need decimal temperatures for
certain things.

4. Can you record a measurement of less than 0C and more than 100.0C on the Celsius
thermometer? Explain the minimum and maximum values based on the Celsius thermometer
you are given.
Yes, you can measure less and more than 0C and 100C because they are not the lowest
temperature the chemicals can get.

5. Why do you think the alcohol [a clear fluid] is colored in the Celsius thermometer?
The alcohol is colored, so you can clearly see the temperature.

6. What happens to the clear fluid in the Celsius thermometer when the temperature of a liquid
the thermometer is put in is warmer in temperature? Does the clear fluid expand [rise up] or
contract [fall down] in the tube?
The clear fluid expands or rises up in the tube.

7. What happens to the clear fluid in the Celsius thermometer when the temperature of a liquid
the thermometer is put in is cooler in temperature? Does the clear fluid expand [rise up] or
contract [fall down] in the tube?
The clear fluid falls down or contracts in the tube.

8. Measure and record the current room temperature in C.

The room temperature is 23C.

9. Measure and record your and each other member of your groups hand temperature in C.
My hand and my group members hand is 26C and 29C.

10. Was there a difference between the temperatures recorded measurements in #9? If yes,
explain why.
There is a difference between the temperatures in measurements 9 because our hands
had different temperatures.