Science and Nature

How Do We Tell Temperature?

Reactions is a show that uncovers the chemistry all around us. We answer the burning questions you’ve always wanted to ask, blending the worlds of science and every-day life.

Season 4 Episode 8 | 4m 49s | CC

There's a lot of chemistry that goes into thermometers. But how do thermometers in the kitchen or doctor’s office work? Thanks to the laws of thermodynamics, thermometers respond to heat moving from hot to cold as a means of measuring temperature. Clever physical chemists and engineers have taken temperature tools from the simple, but still useful, lined glass thermometers to digital readouts.

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