Wireless thermometers are not a new idea, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the vast majority of thermometers do not use an external wire at all. Even today’s most advanced models rarely rely on information being relayed through a hard-wired system. Since this is the case, this article will focus on the differing types of available thermometers.
One of the earliest forms of the thermometer was made centuries before the invention of electricity, making it one of the original wireless thermometers. These units use glass bubbles containing varying liquids that are sealed inside a glass tube full of water. As the temperature of the water inside the tube changes, it forces the glass bubbles to move up or down. Each bubble has an attached number that indicates the temperature that makes it sink to the bottom of the glass tube. As each bubble sinks, it indicates the general temperature of the surrounding air.
Bulb thermometers are among the most common wireless thermometers. These units use the principle that liquid will contract or expand depending on the temperature. The liquid contained inside these thermometers (usually mercury) sits in a small bulb at the bottom of a long narrow tube. As temperatures rise, the mercury expands, forcing its way up the tube. Because this happens at a predictable rate, the tube can be set against a backdrop with markings that indicate the temperature at various stages of the rising mercury. These thermometers have been used for centuries.
There are many high-tech wireless thermometers available today as well. An infrared thermometer, for instance, is a small hand-held unit that is commonly used in a variety of industries. These thermometers work by picking up the infrared energy given off by an object and focusing that energy on a sensor that is determines the temperature.
They work because everything gives off infrared energy, provided that the object has not cooled below absolute zero. Because the amount of energy given off can be directly correlated to its temperature, these thermometers are very accurate. They are commonly used in manufacturing plants and by maintenance workers in many different industrial sectors.
Jennifer R. Scott has been writing for over ten years on a broad range of topics. She has a background that includes such diverse areas as environmentalism, cooking, animal care, and technology. If you would like more information on thermometers, please visit wireless thermometers, a source of information on thermometers.
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