A thermometer is a temperature measuring device used on people, food, refrigerators, furnaces and others. It is used to detect the current temperature and track any changes over a period of time.



It is most useful in health care, food preparation and industrial operations. This device is actually more common and often overlooked in our daily lives. It tells you how hot or cold a room or outside is. You use it when you cook or bake. It’s built into your air-conditioners and furnaces so these machines can function properly. There’s one in every refrigerator to make sure the stored food or other things in there are kept at the right temperature.

There are thermometers for humans and animals to check them for fever. We often use this device when we are feeling a little under the weather or when someone else in the family is not feeling so well. There’s no special training needed to use it yourself or on someone.

The earlier types of thermometers made of glass contain mercury. The tip where this substance is concentrated should be in direct contact with the warmest part of the body. No part should be exposed to the ambient air when taking a temperature. The most preferred parts are under the tongue and the armpits where this could be done successfully. For smaller children, sometimes this is inserted in the rectum. It will take about three minutes of exposure before an accurate measurement can be taken. The glass thermometer should be washed with soap and water. It should be sterilized by alcohol. You can soak this in alcohol or wipe it clean with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol.

The digital thermometers are more popular for children these days because the readings are fast. These are usually inserted in one ear and may only take a few seconds for a reading. Since these do not have as much contact as the other thermometer, temperature readings might not be as accurate. The technology is still being improved upon and pediatricians are mostly using digital ones for very practical reasons. Sterilizing the tip with alcohol is a must before using or reusing it.

Thermostats are either exposed to ambient air or attached to a cooling and heating device. The room thermostat can measure a wider range of temperatures than the thermometers for people. They are stationery and are really not much good for anything else. There are ones installed in your air conditioners or furnace so the machines comply with your settings and work properly.

In the industrial setting, thermometers are used to control the quality of any product that is processed with heat or cool temperatures. They can be used to detect much higher and lower temperatures. The detecting tips are either soaked in the batch being processed. Nowadays, scanning technology is available however the performances of both types differ. The earlier type is still considered more accurate as it gives more consistent results. The latter can only scan the temperature on the surface of substances being heated such as molten metal in a refining kettle.