TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

NON-CONTACT THERMOMETER

Submitted by:
Remegio S. Luching III
BSME-5B

Submitted to:
Engr. Felipe Argamosa
 INTRODUCTION
Today, there are a variety of types of thermometers. The type that most of us are familiar
with from science class is the type that consists of a liquid encased in a narrow glass column.
Older thermometers of this type used liquid mercury. In response to our understanding of the
health concerns associated with mercury exposure, these types of thermometers usually use some
type of liquid alcohol. These liquid thermometers are based on the principal of thermal
expansion. When a substance gets hotter, it expands to a greater volume. Nearly all substances
exhibit this behavior of thermal expansion. It is the basis of the design and operation of
thermometers.
As the temperature of the liquid in a thermometer increases, its volume increases. The liquid is
enclosed in a tall, narrow glass (or plastic) column with a constant cross-sectional area. The
increase in volume is thus due to a change in height of the liquid within the column. The increase
in volume, and thus in the height of the liquid column, is proportional to the increase in
temperature. Suppose that a 10-degree increase in temperature causes a 1-cm increase in the
column's height. Then a 20-degree increase in temperature will cause a 2-cm increase in the
column's height. And a 30-degree increase in temperature will cause s 3-cm increase in the
column's height. The relationship between the temperature and the column's height is linear over
the small temperature range for which the thermometer is used. This linear relationship makes
the calibration of a thermometer a relatively easy task.
The calibration of any measuring tool involves the placement of divisions or marks upon the tool
to measure a quantity accurately in comparison to known standards. Any measuring tool - even a
meter stick - must be calibrated. The tool needs divisions or markings; for instance, a meter stick
typically has markings every 1-cm apart or every 1-mm apart. These markings must be
accurately placed and the accuracy of their placement can only be judged when comparing it to
another object that is precisely known to have a certain length.
A thermometer is calibrated by using two objects of known temperatures. The typical process
involves using the freezing point and the boiling point of pure water. Water is known to freeze at
0C and to boil at 100C at an atmospheric pressure of 1 atm. By placing a thermometer in
mixture of ice water and allowing the thermometer liquid to reach a stable height, the 0-degree
mark can be placed upon the thermometer. Similarly, by placing the thermometer in boiling
water (at 1 atm of pressure) and allowing the liquid level to reach a stable height, the 100-degree
mark can be placed upon the thermometer. With these two markings placed upon the
thermometer, 100 equally spaced divisions can be placed between them to represent the 1-degree
marks. Since there is a linear relationship between the temperature and the height of the liquid,
the divisions between 0 degree and 100 degree can be equally spaced. With a calibrated
thermometer, accurate measurements can be made of the temperature of any object within the
temperature range for which it has been calibrated.
Temperature Scales
The thermometer calibration process described above results in what is known as a centigrade
thermometer. A centigrade thermometer has 100 divisions or intervals between the normal
freezing point and the normal boiling point of water. Today, the centigrade scale is known as
the Celsius scale, named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius who is credited with its
development. The Celsius scale is the most widely accepted temperature scale used throughout
the world. It is the standard unit of temperature measurement in nearly all countries, the most
notable exception being the United States. Using this scale, a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius
is abbreviated as 28C.
Traditionally slow to adopt the metric system and other accepted units of measurements, the
United States more commonly uses the Fahrenheit temperature scale. A thermometer can be
calibrated using the Fahrenheit scale in a similar manner as was described above. The difference
is that the normal freezing point of water is designated as 32 degrees and the normal boiling
point of water is designated as 212 degrees in the Fahrenheit scale. As such, there are 180
divisions or intervals between these two temperatures when using the Fahrenheit scale. The
Fahrenheit scale is named in honor of German physicist Daniel Fahrenheit. A temperature of 76
degree Fahrenheit is abbreviated as 76F. In most countries throughout the world, the Fahrenheit
scale has been replaced by the use of the Celsius scale.
Temperatures expressed by the Fahrenheit scale can be converted to the Celsius scale equivalent
using the equation below:
C = (F - 32)/1.8
Similarly, temperatures expressed by the Celsius scale can be converted to the Fahrenheit scale
equivalent using the equation below:
F= 1.8C + 32
The Kelvin Temperature Scale
While the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are the most widely used temperature scales, there are
several other scales that have been used throughout history. For example, there is the Rankine
scale, the Newton scale and the Romer scale, all of which are rarely used. Finally, there is
the Kelvin temperature scale, which is the standard metric system of temperature measurement
and perhaps the most widely used temperature scale among scientists. The Kelvin temperature
scale is similar to the Celsius temperature scale in the sense that there are 100 equal degree
increments between the normal freezing point and the normal boiling point of water. However,
the zero-degree mark on the Kelvin temperature scale is 273.15 units cooler than it is on the
Celsius scale. So a temperature of 0 Kelvin is equivalent to a temperature of -273.15 C. Observe
that the degree symbol is not used with this system. So a temperature of 300 units above 0
Kelvin is referred to as 300 Kelvin and not 300 degree Kelvin; such a temperature is abbreviated
as 300 K. Conversions between Celsius temperatures and Kelvin temperatures (and vice versa)
can be performed using one of the two equations below.
C = K - 273.15
K = C + 273.15

The zero point on the Kelvin scale is known as absolute zero. It is the lowest temperature that
can be achieved. The concept of an absolute temperature minimum was promoted by Scottish
physicist William Thomson (a.k.a. Lord Kelvin) in 1848. Thomson theorized based on
thermodynamic principles that the lowest temperature which could be achieved was -273C.
Prior to Thomson, experimentalists such as Robert Boyle (late 17th century) were well aware of
the observation that the volume (and even the pressure) of a sample of gas was dependent upon
its temperature. Measurements of the variations of pressure and volume with changes in the
temperature could be made and plotted. Plots of volume vs. temperature (at constant pressure)
and pressure vs. temperature (at constant volume) reflected the same conclusion - the volume
and the pressure of a gas reduces to zero at a temperature of -273C. Since these are the lowest
values of volume and pressure that are possible, it is reasonable to conclude that -273C was the
lowest temperature that was possible.
Thomson referred to this minimum lowest temperature as absolute zero and argued that a
temperature scale be adopted that had absolute zero as the lowest value on the scale. Today, that
temperature scale bears his name. Scientists and engineers have been able to cool matter down to
temperatures close to -273.15C, but never below it. In the process of cooling matter to
temperatures close to absolute zero, a variety of unusual properties have been observed. These
properties include superconductivity, superfluidity and a state of matter known as a Bose-
Einstein condensate.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/thermalP/Lesson-1/Temperature-and-Thermometers
OBJECTIVES

1. To use the non-contact thermometer

2. To familiarize the use of non-contact thermometer.
3. To determine the temperature difference in measuring temperature of an object with
different measuring distances.

PROCEDURE

1. Keep the lens clean and free from the scratches

2. Allow some time for the thermometer to come to the temperature of its surrounding
3. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the ice from a short distance.
4. Jot down the temperature measurement
5. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the ice from a longer distance.
6. Jot down the temperature measurement
7. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the outtake of air conditioner from a
short distance.
8. Jot down the temperature measurement
9. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the outtake of air conditioner from a
longer distance
10. Jot down the temperature measurement
11. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the intake of air conditioner from a
short distance.
12. Jot down the temperature measurement
13. Press the trigger and keep the laser pointed to the intake of air conditioner from a
longer distance
14. Jot down the temperature measurement
RESULTS
After the procedures have been properly followed, we ended up with these results.

MATERIALS TO BE MESURED DISTANCE

MEASURED TEMPERATURE
ICE -5.3 C NEAR
ICE -4.6 C FAR
OUTTAKE OF AIR 13.9C NEAR
CONDITIONER
OUTTAKE OF AIR 14.4C FAR
CONDITIONER
INTAKE OF AIR 27.8C NEAR
CONDITIONER
INTAKE OF AIR 27.6C FAR
CONDITIONER
 CONCLUSION
I therefore conclude that non-contact thermometer is very useful and very convenient
type of thermometer. Non-contact thermometers do not work the same way as traditional
thermometers like mercury and alcohol thermometers. It is very easy to use even with a distance
it can determine the temperature of the surface that contact with the red light of this
thermometer. With the results of our experiment we learned that non-contact thermometer
determines its temperature of the surface of the object you are measuring and the distance affects
the results of their temperatures. Their temperature differences are varied because they have
different distances. But this kind of thermometer dont have high accuracy in terms of consistent
temperature recording because it is only an estimation of the temperature of the surface of the
object.