Unit 30 Thermometers

Basic Principles of Reading Thermometers Thermometers are used in many health occupations. –A major use is to record body temperature. Many thermometers are electronic or digital. They are easy to read because the body temperature appears on a screen, similar to the way numbers appear on a calculator screen.

Basic Principles of Reading Thermometers Some thermometers are not electronic. A common example is the clinical thermometer. –This consists of a column of mercury or alcohol inside a glass stem. –Body heat causes the mercury or alcohol to expand and move up the stem so the temperature can be recorded.

Basic Principles of Reading Thermometers On some thermometers, there is an arrow or long line by 98.6°F (degrees Fahrenheit), which is the normal oral body temperature. Some health care facilities use Celsius (Centigrade) thermometers to record temperature.

Thermometers Example: On a Celsius thermometer as shown on the next slide, if each long line represents 1 degree and each small line represents 0.1 (one-tenth) degree, what is the correct reading for Example 4? –The arrow is on the eighth line past the long unmarked line representing 38 degrees. The reading is 38.8°C.

Thermometers Celsius thermometer.

Practical Problem Using the Fahrenheit thermometer below, if the thermometer stops three lines after the number 2, what is the correct reading?

Practical Problem The correct reading of the thermometer would be 102.6°F. 