How does a thermometer work

­ The bulb thermometer is the common glass thermometer you probably grew up with. The thermometer contains some type of fluid, generally mercury.

Bulb thermometers rely on the simple principle that a liquid changes its volume relative to its temperature.

What is a thermometer used for in science

10 uses of thermometer

4 types of thermometer

Types of thermometer and their uses

Who invented thermometer

Liquids take up less space when they are cold and more space when they are warm (this same principal works for gases and is the basis of the hot air balloon -- for more information, see How Hot Air Balloons Work).

You probably work with liquids every day, but may not notice that things like water, milk and cooking oil all take up more or less space as their temperatures change.

In these cases, the change in volume is fairly small. All bulb thermometers use a fairly large bulb and a narrow tube to accentuate the change in volume. You can see this for yourself by making your own bulb thermometer from scratch.

5 uses of thermometer

Here is what you'll need: