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Question
Answer the following question.
How a thermometer is calibrated?
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Solution
- For the calibration of a thermometer, a standard temperature interval is selected between two easily reproducible fixed temperatures.
- The fact that substances change state from solid to liquid to a gas at fixed temperatures is used to define reference temperature called a fixed point.
- The two fixed temperatures selected for this purpose are the melting point of ice or the freezing point of water and the boiling point of water.
- This standard temperature interval is divided into sub-intervals by utilizing some physical property that changes with temperature.
- Each sub-interval is called as a degree of temperature. Thus, an empirical scale for temperature is set up.
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