Can you measure heat using a thermometer? If yes, how; if no ,why not?
Answers
Explanation:
Yes, but only sensible heat!
Actually, the heat thermometer is designed to measure is limited upto human body only.
However, there're some thermometers which can measure beyond that.
For measuring the body temperature,
keep the tip of the thermometer
1) Under the arms.
2) Inside mouth.
If it is scientific thermometer,
keep it in the vicinity of the heat emitting object, for case if any, under some restrictions if given/prescribed in the thermometer.
The principle behind measuring the heat using thermometer is very simple.
Inside the thermometer, the mercury is packed with in the glass with suitable pressure.
Note that mercury is in liquid state w.r.t. room temperature.
A metal cap is fixed at the tip of the thermometer so that heat can be transferred to the thermometer.
When is heat is applied at the tip of the thermometer, it is transferred to the mercury.
As per the laws, when heat is applied, bonds between atoms start to become weak and distancing between them starts. Hence expansion occurs. It is the same case with Mercury. And we see the mercury shooting at the temperature scale given in the thermometer.
Thank you.