Difference between clinical thermometer and other thermometer?

Answer 1

You would likely have different ranges and accuracies for different thermometers. I'm using Fahrenheit. Many newer thermometers would be in Celsius, including those used in hospitals/clinics, or in other parts of the world outside of the USA.

A clinical thermometer might read from about 80°F to 110°F, and would be accurate to 1/10 or 2/10 degrees. They can be digital, Mercury, or even plastic disposable. They normally have a method to lock in the maximum temperature (like the old ones that you had to shake down). Modern clinical thermometers will either have a disposable plastic cover for the non-disposable variety, or will be 100% disposable. Ocular ear thermometers are a new type of infra-red thermometers.

A household thermometer might read from -20°F to 120°F, and might only be accurate to 1 or 2 degrees. If the thermometer is a glass thermometer, the scale is never written on the actual thermometer.

A scientific thermometer might have a range up to the boiling point of water... is often in Celsius (-10°C to 110°C), and accurate to a degree Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) or so.

A cooking thermometer might have a range of 100°F to 500°F. There may be some glass (or disposable) cooking thermometers, but many are also metal for durability.

Answer 2

A clinical thermometer is designed specifically for measuring human body temperature accurately, typically with a narrow temperature range of 35-42°C. Other thermometers, like digital or infrared ones, can measure a wider range of temperatures and are used for a variety of purposes beyond just human body temperature, such as measuring room temperature or food temperatures. Additionally, clinical thermometers are usually mercury-based, while other thermometers may use different mechanisms like digital sensors.