Thermometers

A resistance thermometer and a thermocouple thermometer are both used at the

same time to measure the temperature of a water bath.

(a) What are meant by fixed points on a thermometric scale?

[2 marks]

(b) Define the fixed points used on the Celsius scale.

[2 marks]

(c) Why is the Celsius scale referred to as a ‘centigrade’ scale?

[1 mark]

(d) (i) What is meant by the term ‘absolute zero of temperature’ ?

[1 mark]

(ii) State how the ‘absolute thermodynamic scale of temperature’ differs from
Other temperature scales.
[1 mark]

(e) The temperature of a water bath increases from 50.00 oC to 80.00 oC.
Determine, in kelvin, and to an appropriate number of significant figures,

(i) the temperature 50.00 oC

(ii) the change in temperature of the water bath.

[1 marks]

(f) The relationship between the resistance, R, of a wire at temperature t/oC as

measured by a mercury thermometer, and the resistance, R0, at 0 oC is

R = Ro (1 + α t2)

where α = 5.0 × 10−5 oC−2.

Calculate, in terms of R0, the resistance of the wire at 100 oC and at 80 oC as

measured by the mercury thermometer.

[2 marks]
2. a) An uncalibrated thermometer is attached to a centimetre scale and reads
5.0 cm in pure melting ice and 30.0 cm in steam. When the thermometer is
immersed in the liquid y, the length of the mercury column is 15.0 cm.
What is temperature of liquid y?
[2 marks]

b) i. The resistance of a platinum resistance thermometer at ice point of water

was found to be 2.5 Ω and 22 Ω at steam point of water.
Determine the temperature of the water when the resistance is 17.1 Ω

[2 marks]

ii. State the temperature of the water on the absolute thermodynamic scale.

[1 marks]