Physics notes Heat and Gas

Chapter 1 : Temperature and Thermometers

1.1. Temperature:
Temperature is a physical quantity that measures the degree of hotness or
coldness of an object.

Thermometric property:
A physical property of matter that changes with temperature is called a thermometric property.

1.2 . Temperature scale:

The lower fixed point or ice point is the temperature of pure melting ice at one standard atmospheric
pressure.
The upper fixed point or steam point is the temperature of pure boiling water at one standard
atmospheric pressure.

Kelvin Scale (K):

Kelvin temperature = Celsius temperature + 273

The Fahrenheit scale (oF):

Celsius temperature = 5 (Fahrenheit temperature – 32)
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1.3. Thermometers:
1.31. Liquid-in-glass thermometer
-fill with a thermometric liquid which expands or contracts linearly with temperature
-the wall of the glass bulb is very thin to facilitate heat transfer
-the capillary tube is made very narrow to improve the sensitivity of the thermometer
Thermometer Mercury-in-glass thermometer Alcohol-in-glass thermometer
Approximate working range -30 C to 400 C
o o
-100 oC to 110oC
Response to temperature change Quick Slow
Safety concerned Mercury is poisonous Alcohol is flammable

1.32. Clinical thermometer/Digital clinical thermometer

-designed to measure the temperature of human body

1.33. Rotary thermometer

-consists of a bimetallic strip made of 2 different metal strips joined together side by side
-the strip bends when it is heated because of the different thermal expansion of two metals
-measures from -50oC to 300 oC
 1.34. Resistance thermometer
-makes use of the property that the resistance of a metal increases with temperature
-measures form -200 oC to 850 oC
-consists of a coil of metal wire connected to an ammeter and a battery
-should be calibrated every time before it is used

1.35. Thermistor thermometer

-similar to resistance thermometer
-thermistor is used instead of a coil of metal wire
-resistance of a thermistor decreases when temperature becomes higher
-measures from -50 oC to 150 oC
-commonly used in electrical appliances for temperature control (e.g. cookers)

1.36. Thermocouple thermometer

-consists of 3 pieces of wire in which two are of the same metal and the other is different
-measures wide range of temperature (from -250 oC to 2300 oC)
-the response rate is fast
-difficult to calibrate

1.37. Infrared thermometer

-measure temperature by measuring the infrared radiation emitted
-measure a wide range of temperature (up to 4000 oC)

1.38. Liquid crystal thermometer

-consists of liquid crystal that changes colour with temperature
-measures from 10 oC to 50 oC
-used to measure body temperature or water temperature in an aquarium

1.39 Calibration of thermometers

-mark the levels at upper and lower fixed points ( for Liquid-in-glass thermometer)

1.4. Molecular motion and temperature

State of matter Solid Liquid Gas
Property of matter Has fixed volume and Has a fixed volume but Has no fixed volume and
shape no fixed shape shape
Arrangement of Molecules are closely Molecules are close to Molecules are far apart
molecules arranged in a regular each other from each other
pattern
Movement of molecules Molecules vibrate about Molecules move around Molecules move in all
fixed positions each other directions
Temperature measures the average kinetic energy due to random motion of the molecules of a system.