More precise thermometers

2003/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Teknologia

Do all thermometers measure the same? Well, no. Thermometers are calibrated using different nature reference points and more precise thermometers.

These reference thermometers are platinum. Platinum varies its resistance as it cools and is used for large-scale thermometers of this resistance variation.

They have now developed aluminum thermometers at Yale University. Through these thermometers the electricity is passed generating a current. The variation of this current is very accurate and as the electricity increases the current also increases. In addition, this property depends on temperature, so researchers can know exactly what the temperature is by measuring the current change.

The new thermometers can measure from absolute zero to ambient temperature with an accuracy of 0.1%. Now, they are already researching the construction of new electronic thermometers to measure temperatures above the environment and, in addition, they hope to obtain greater precision.