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In this answer I m referring to the normal thermometers. Not the electronic thermometers. There is a very very thin capillary tube incide the thermometer which is filled with Mercury and it has a bulb aT one end. When it touches a surface, the mercury expands, rises in the capillary and the temperature is shown.

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How do you tell how hot or cold something is?

use a thermometer.We can feel how hot or cold something is. However, sometimes things are just too hot or cold for us to feel safely. At other times we need to know exactly how hot or cold something is. When we need to measure temperature correctly we need to use an instrument called a thermometer. This measures temperature in degrees Celsius [sometimes called centigrade] or degrees Fahrenheit. There are different types of thermometers for different situations. A medical thermometer, for example, needs to be very accurate. It measures in fractions of degrees. When we are ill, even tiny changes in temperature are important. Some thermometers use a liquid that moves up a very fine glass tube. Most room thermometers, and outdoor thermometers are like this. The liquid is either mercury [ which is poisonous] or coloured alcohol. As liquids get warmer they expand [get bigger], and move up the tube. Water expands too, but not as much as alcohol and mercury. Thermometers that might be used by small children are not made of glass. They use a digital display which lights up the temperature. Inside the displays are chemicals that change colour according to the temperature.


What causes mercury in a thermometer to rise?

The mercury in a thermometer rises because of thermal expansion. When the temperature surrounding the thermometer increases, the molecules of the mercury expand, causing it to move up the narrow tube of the thermometer.


Does a thermometer go up?

No, a thermometer doesn't physically go up. Rather, it measures and displays changes in temperature by using a scale or dial to indicate the temperature.


What happens to the thermometer when the temperature goes up?

When the temperature goes up, the mercury or alcohol inside the thermometer expands, causing the level to rise. This increase in volume is directly correlated with the increase in temperature, allowing the thermometer to indicate the higher temperature.


What Happens when you heat up a thermometer with your hands?

If you hold a thermometer close to you it will start to heat up. Your body temperature will start affecting it and the heat reading on it should start to rise. Once you pull it away from you (depending on the temperate of where you are) it should start to cool off again.

Related Questions

When did Galileo make the thermometer?

Galileo made the thermometer in 1593.


How do you tell how hot or cold something is?

use a thermometer.We can feel how hot or cold something is. However, sometimes things are just too hot or cold for us to feel safely. At other times we need to know exactly how hot or cold something is. When we need to measure temperature correctly we need to use an instrument called a thermometer. This measures temperature in degrees Celsius [sometimes called centigrade] or degrees Fahrenheit. There are different types of thermometers for different situations. A medical thermometer, for example, needs to be very accurate. It measures in fractions of degrees. When we are ill, even tiny changes in temperature are important. Some thermometers use a liquid that moves up a very fine glass tube. Most room thermometers, and outdoor thermometers are like this. The liquid is either mercury [ which is poisonous] or coloured alcohol. As liquids get warmer they expand [get bigger], and move up the tube. Water expands too, but not as much as alcohol and mercury. Thermometers that might be used by small children are not made of glass. They use a digital display which lights up the temperature. Inside the displays are chemicals that change colour according to the temperature.


Why are the numbers where they are on a thermometer?

The numbers are where they are because the person who made the thermometer scale decided which numbers go where.


What is the raw experimental measurement made when using mercury thermometer?

Using a thermometer we can measure the temperature.


What is the purpose of a Thermometer ring stand holder?

Thermometer holder is a tool to hold the thermometer for taking the different reading of the body,liquid, or mass. So this holder helps to hold the thermometer,this holder is made up of such material(cork) so it does not effect the temperature of thermometer.


Who made the water thermometer?

Charles winger


Is a thermometer made of the mercury element?

Yes


Who is Theodore hannes benzinger?

he made the ear thermometer


When the thermometer was first made?

it is a thing designed Arctic are


Why is th temperature in the thermosphere not measured with a thermometer?

because the thermometer measures up to 108 degrees c


Why does the height of the liquid of a thermometer increaseswhen the temperature goes up?

Thermal expansion of the fluid inside the thermometer.


What causes mercury in a thermometer to rise?

The mercury in a thermometer rises because of thermal expansion. When the temperature surrounding the thermometer increases, the molecules of the mercury expand, causing it to move up the narrow tube of the thermometer.