Alcohol Thermometer

The thermometer is a temperature gauge. The principle of the thermometer is based on the thermal volume expansion of the individual substances. Liquid thermometer is a common type of thermometer which measures the temperature of the expansion of liquid in a thin glass tube (capillary tube). The glass container contains liquid ethanol, which is very sensitive to temperature changes. The volume of alcohol (or other mensural substance) depends on its temperature (change in size is dependent on the supplied heat). This thermometer is called same as mercury thermomether ‒ dilational. The expansion of the liquid is almost uniform. Alcohol is used for lower temperatures (the maximum range from -114 °C to 78 °C, i.e. between the melting and boiling points of ethanol).

The model shows the different temperatures and the view of the fluid particle composition. By obtaining heat the internal energy increases (particles accelerate their movement) and the thermometer indicates a higher temperature. When heat is extracted, the energy decreases as well as the movement of the particles slows down. The scale is calibrated in Celsius degrees (°C).