The Galileo Themometer: The History Of The Thermometer

718 Words2 Pages

Kirk Deitschman
Hist
Professor Bindi
26 April 2016

History of the Thermometer
Temperature is the numerical representation of hot and cold usually measured by a thermometer. Temperature is also the measurement of how fast molecules and atoms of substances are moving. Temperature is measured in degrees on three different scales, Fahrenheit, Celsius or Kelvin. The thermometers we know today was not developed or invented by one specific person but was a collaborative effort from numerous different devices produced from scientists, astronomers, physiologist, doctors and even a grand Duke of Tuscany. The different trials and efforts from previous devices allowed the thermometer to be perfected and can now be used to read the temperature of the …show more content…

Based on the concept that air expands or contracts with changes in densities it was more of a balancing scale and was very inaccurate in precise temperature readings. His device identified change the common feeling of temperature of the air. The Galileo thermometer consisted of a of sealed glass tube filled with water and floating bulbs of various densities. As temperature rises the different bulbs rise depending on the density of the bulb. This device had many flaws, one being that the temperature reading was not on any scale so no exact temperatures were able to be retrieved and no numerical readings, it could only display the changes in in temperature on a broad scale. Another flaw of Galileo’s thermometer was that it was affected by atmospheric pressure. With this device not following any scale to measure results classifies the Galileo thermometer as a …show more content…

Sagredo also used the device to prove that lakes of different sizes cooled at different rates, with the smaller ones cooling faster than larger ones. The next advancement of the thermometer after Galileo was by Santorio Santorio during 1612-1624. Santorio also created another precursor to the thermometer, his thermoscope was the first to have included a numerical scale to measure this later helped involve thermoscopes to the thermometer. Like Galileo’s instrument his was also used to measure the temperature of air. The accuracy of this device was very poor and the effects of air pressure cause various results. Santorio created many different instruments trying to mprove on the previous one but all took a long time to measure temperature and the scale used was completely

More about The Galileo Themometer: The History Of The Thermometer

Open Document