Nowadays, who doesn’t know a temperature measuring device that is often used to check our body temperature, the thermometer. Almost all parents will immediately look for a thermometer when their child has a high fever and adults will do the same thing when holding a body that turns out to be hot. Without a thermometer, we would have difficulty knowing our body temperature, which could endanger ourselves.
Thanks to its important use, almost everyone will have a thermometer in their house. Basically there are many types of thermometers, but the one that is often used by people when they want to check their body temperature is a mercury thermometer. As the name suggests, this thermometer, which is often used by humans, is coated with glass to prevent the mercury inside. With a glass coating, when using a thermometer you don’t need to worry about mercury coming out of the glass.
However, some people are confused about why a thermometer can be used to measure room temperature, air temperature, and even human temperature. Things like this are not a big problem. Basically, this temperature measuring device has been around since the time of the Romans. After that, along with developments over time, the use of thermometers continued to develop.
Therefore, we need to read this article about thermometers to the end so that our knowledge about thermometers increases.
Understanding Thermometer
The word thermometer consists of two words, namely thermo and meter, thermo comes from Latin, namely thermo which means heat and meter can be interpreted as measuring. Therefore, a thermometer is a tool for measuring body temperature or checking changes in body temperature (cold or hot). This is in line with the meaning of thermometer according to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), namely a temperature measuring instrument.
Almost everyone has this thermometer or body temperature measuring device. The thermometer that is often used by many people, especially in the world of health, is a mercury thermometer. Making a thermometer can be said to use a concept that objects in nature will expand or increase in size because the temperature of the object increases. By using this concept, the temperature of the thermometer will increase (hot temperature).
The large number of people who use mercury thermometers to measure their body temperature is not without reason, the price is relatively cheap when compared to other types of thermometers. Even though the price is relatively affordable, the level of accuracy (for checking body temperature) cannot be doubted.
The thermometer itself consists of a capillary tube which is usually made of glass and this part functions as a storage reservoir. As we know, humans more often use mercury type thermometers. This is because mercury has a unique feature in that the color of the water can be shiny, so that body temperature can be seen, whether it is at a normal temperature or a hot temperature.
Not only that, mercury also has several advantages, such as the temperature of mercury which will quickly react on the object or body being measured; mercury can measure temperature from lowest to highest; Purification from mercury is very regular.
However, for measuring freezing point temperatures, alcohol thermometers are superior because alcohol thermometers are capable of measuring freezing points down to -130 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, mercury is only able to measure freezing points down to -40 degrees Celsius.
When humans experience an increase in body temperature or when they touch their body it feels warm or hot, this indicates that their health condition is being disturbed. If you experience something like this, you should immediately go to the doctor to find out your health condition. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner your body’s health can return.
The mercury in the thermometer is a liquid, so when the temperature changes, the water will react. We can see this when boiling water, the water will produce bubbles which indicates that the water is at a hot temperature. Likewise, with mercury in the thermometer, the water will react in the form of leading to a higher temperature.
The scale on a mercury thermometer starts from 35 degrees Celsius to 42 degrees Celsius. Apart from that, the thermometer will show the number 37 in red, why is only the number 37 red? This is because 37 degrees Celsius is the limit temperature for the human body. If when using a thermometer, the mercury shows or stops above 37, then it is considered a hot body temperature. This applies vice versa, if the thermometer reading is below 37 and not less than 35, it indicates that the body temperature is normal.
Behind the uniqueness or specialness of mercury, it turns out that this water can be said to be water that is poisonous, so it can harm a person. Therefore, we must ensure that the thermometer does not break. To prevent the thermometer from breaking, this can be done by placing the thermometer in a truly safe place. Of course, parents don’t want their children to be exposed to mercury poisoning, so the thermometer should be placed in a place where children cannot reach it.
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Inventor of Thermometer Temperature
After discussing the meaning of a thermometer, now we will discuss the inventors of the thermometer. As we know, a thermometer is a tool for measuring body temperature, but not all of them use degrees Celsius. Therefore, the inventors of the thermometer can be said to be the inventors of temperature degrees as well, such as degrees Fahrenheit, Reamur, Celsius, and others.
The following are thermometer inventors or scientists who played a role in the development of thermometers.
Galileo Galilei
The thermometer was first discovered by a scientist named Galileo Galilei. February 15, 1564 is his birth date and he was born in Pisa, Tuscany. He is the first child. His father, Vicenzo Galilei, was an expert in mathematics and a musician from Florence and Giulia Ammannati.
Galileo Galilei studied at the University of Pisa, but had to stop due to financial constraints. Even though he had to leave the University of Pisa, he was offered a job teaching mathematics in 1589. Instead of just teaching mathematics, he moved to the University of Padua to give lessons on geometry, astronomy and mechanics. This teaching activity was carried out until 1610. Thanks to this teaching activity, Galileo Galilei studied and deepened science and made various discoveries.
At that time, astronomers and natural scientists had not been able to find a tool that could function to measure temperature. Basically, scientists are aware that a substance will expand when it experiences a change in temperature. However, the substance used to measure temperature precisely and on a precise scale has not yet been discovered. However, thanks to his tenacity in finding a temperature measuring device, Galileo Galilei was able to invent a temperature measuring device.
One of Galileo Galilei’s inventions which is well known to many people is the thermoscope or air thermometer. He discovered this measuring tool in 1593 and made it by utilizing the expansion of air. Even though the measuring instrument created by Galileo Galilei was very simple, it could measure temperature.
The shape of the thermoscope is a glass ball with almost the same size as a chicken egg. The large ball is then connected to a fairly long pipe which is closed and filled with water. Some weights hang inside the long liquid pipe. The large weights or balls consist of various colors so that it is easy to distinguish them and add to the beauty.
These large balls will move to the surface or sink when the temperature changes. With the changes that occur in the large balls in the long pipe filled with water, this shows that the temperature scale is changing.
Santorio Santorio
Santorio Santorio was born into a noble family, his father, Antonio, was from a noble family from Friuli and his mother, Elisabetta Cordonia, came from a noble family. He was born in Capodistria on March 29, 1561. After completing his studies, he continued studying in Venice, then continued his studies at the University of Padua in 1575. When he finished studying at the University of Padua, he received a medical degree.
After obtaining a medical degree, he then became the personal physician of a Croatian nobleman from 1589 to 1599. His interest in the health sector was unquestionable, and he was even entrusted with the position of President of the College of Doctors of Venice and Supreme Health Official. Apart from that, Santorio Santorio has made several inventions, such as an anemometer, a tool for measuring water waves and a pulsilogium or a tool for measuring heart rate.
All of these discoveries can be said to be improvements to the measuring instruments discovered by Galileo Galilei. In fact, in the history of medicine, the pulsilogium, a heart measuring device, was the first to be discovered.
Ferdinand II
The scientist who played a role in the next advancement of thermometers or temperature measuring devices was Ferdinand II (Grand Duke of Tuscany). He carried out various kinds of research and experiments in order to create a better thermometer than previous inventors. Likewise, Santorio Santorio thought that Galileo Galilei’s invention of the thermoscope still had shortcomings, so he created a better measuring instrument.
After carrying out various kinds of research and carrying out various kinds of experiments, Ferdinand II finally created a measuring instrument (thermometer) that uses liquid in glass. This thermometer made of glass is the first in the world. The liquid used by Ferdinand II was alcohol.
Even though the thermometer created by Ferdinand II was the result of improvements and developments from previously discovered thermometers, this thermometer still had several shortcomings. The disadvantages are that the level of accuracy is still not good and there is no standard scale.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit is a physicist from Germany. Even though he was a physicist from Germany, he was born in Danzig, Poland on May 24, 1686. He showed his love for the world of physics through various kinds of research and experiments, so that he was able to fly almost all over Europe and was able to make friends with various scientific figures, such as Gottfried Leibniz.
After previously Ferdinand II created the first thermometer with glass whose liquid was alcohol, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit began to develop this discovery. This was done to correct the shortcomings of the thermometer that had been discovered previously. Until finally in 1714, he invented the first thermometer that used mercury or quicksilver. Ten years later, or more precisely in 1724, he published a standard temperature scale so that temperature changes could be carried out or calculated accurately. The temperature scale is known as the Fahrenheit temperature scale which is taken from his name, namely Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit chose to use mercury instead of alcohol because he thought that mercury was better for treating changes in body temperature. Apart from that, mercury will remain stable even when it freezes and boils, and the mercury does not even evaporate.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit also set a new temperature point on his thermometer. The temperature points are the hot point and freezing point within 180 degrees and the bottom point is 32 degrees. He did this so that the measured temperature did not reach negative temperatures.
Rene Antonie Ferchault de Reamur
Rene Antonie Ferchauld de Reamur is a scientist from France. He was born in La Rochelle, France on February 28, 1683. He was also part of the development of world thermometers. There have been many contributions made by Rene Antonie Ferchauld de Reamur in various scientific fields, especially the field of entomology. His contribution to the field of entomology cannot be doubted.
Almost the same as Daniel Gabriel Fahreinheit, Reamur also determined the thermometer scale based on the freezing point and boiling point of water. The invention of the thermometer scale created by Rene Antonie Ferchauld de Reamur was named Reamur. The Reamur thermometer scale is often used in various European countries, especially France and Germany. Apart from that, the Reamur scale is also often used in the candy and cheese industry.
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Anders Celsius
The next development of a thermometer was carried out by an astronomer from Sweden. Anders Celsius was born on November 27, 1701 in Ovanaker, Sweden. Intelligence in the field of astronomy can be proven by a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University, from 1730 to 1744.
In developing thermometers, Anders Celsius wanted to develop from the shortcomings of the inventors of previous thermometer scales. He carried out various kinds of research and experiments to obtain a good thermometer temperature scale. Until 1742, Anders Celsius created a thermometer temperature scale.
The temperature scale created by Anders Celsius is in the form of the freezing point of water at 0 degrees and the boiling point of water at 100 degrees at standard atmospheric pressure. This thermometer scale is named the Celsius thermometer scale. The scale created by Anders Celsius is still widely used by many people today. Not only that, almost all body thermometers use the Anders Celsius thermometer scale.
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Lord Kelvin
The last scientist who played a role in the development of the thermometer was Lord Kelvin. He was born in England in 1824 and he was born with the name William Thomson. Lord Kelvin can be said to be the person who first proposed an absolute scale of temperature.
After the Celsius scale was discovered, Lord Kelvin discovered or created a new thermometer scale. The scale created by Lord Kelvin was the result of the development of the idea of absolute temperature or known as the “Second Law of Dynamics Theory”. The thermometer scale discovered by Lord Kelvin is called the Kelvin thermometer scale.