9 Cool and Surprising Facts About Thermometers You Never Knew!

1. Fahrenheit's Fiery Inventions

When Daniel Fahrenheit wasn't busy raising the temperature in scientific circles, he was quite the trailblazing inventor: In 1724, he came up with the alcohol and mercury thermometers and devised the Fahrenheit temperature scale, which still sizzles in the United States and parts of the Caribbean, even though other countries have since switched to the Celsius and Kelvin scales.
Source => assamtribune.com

2. Cool Cats: Galen and Celsius

Who would've thought Galen and Anders Celsius would be the ultimate ice-breakers, centuries apart? Turns out, these cool cats were both boiling with ingenious ideas: Galen, a Greek physician from the second century A.D., first suggested using ice and boiling water as temperature reference points, while Celsius later fine-tuned this brilliant concept and gifted us the temperature scale we know and love today. Originally called the centigrade scale, it was officially renamed the Celsius scale in 1948, probably to avoid any confusion with centipede thermometers.
Source => chemed.chem.purdue.edu

Did you know that the first practical centrifugal refrigeration compressor was introduced in 1922 by Willis Haviland Carrier? Discover how this invention revolutionized modern air-conditioning and led to the cool relief we enjoy today! 🌀❄️

=> Fun Facts about Temperature

3. Opposites Attract: Mercury vs. Alcohol

Dating a thermometer can be quite the heated affair - but remember, opposites attract: Mercury thermometers, with their linear expansion and speedy response times, are scorching hot when it comes to measuring high temperatures, while the cool and collected alcohol thermometers win hearts in the frosty realm of low temps, thanks to their lower freezing points and reduced toxicity levels.
Source => scienceequip.com.au

4. Elemental Love Story: Mercury and Fahrenheit

When mercury met Fahrenheit, it was pure, elemental chemistry: Gabriel Fahrenheit discovered that mercury's fancy footwork of expanding and contracting with temperature changes made it the perfect partner for his thermometer. Trading wine for the far more accurate mercury and alcohol duo, he stirred their romance into a thermometer that would dance to the tunes of ice and salt water, freezing at 32 degrees, and boiling up a steamy 212-degree love affair with water.
Source => theguardian.com

5. Kelvin: The Thermometer Cool Kid

Move over, Fahrenheit and Celsius, there's a cooler kid on the thermometer block: The Kelvin scale is the real MVP for scientists, thanks to its use of absolute zero, no negative temperatures, and its compatibility with fundamental laws and equations. Just watch out for those pesky conversions when taking temperature!
Source => vedantu.com

6. Shake it Up: Clinical Thermometers

Do thermometers just need a little shake, rattle, and roll to get ready for the next round?: Indeed, clinical thermometers are designed with a clever constriction near the bulb that keeps the mercury in place after measuring a temperature, allowing doctors to read it easily and accurately. Only with a quick jerk can the mercury in the tube be sent back to the bulb for the next patient's fever-finding mission!
Source => byjus.com

7. Wet and Dry Thermometers: The Steamy Duo

You might say these thermometers are in quite the "heated" relationship: wet and dry bulb thermometers work harmoniously to determine the relative humidity and dew point of the air by measuring wet and dry temperatures and comparing them on specially designed charts. Though they've ditched the toxic mercury for a safer and snazzier red liquid, there's no doubt this dynamic duo is still best at taking the air's temperature – and keeping things steamy.
Source => thomassci.com

8. Toxic Mercury Breakup

In a temperature tantrum that would make Mr. Fahrenheit blush, modern thermometers have ditched their toxic mercury ways for a safer, digital lifestyle: Turns out, the first clinical mercury thermometer was actually invented in the 17th century by Gabriel Fahrenheit himself, but these days, alcohol or digital sensors keep things cool and accurate, with a side note to carefully use tympanic thermometers for ear readings to avoid a false summer fever.
Source => journals.lww.com

9. Responsible Mercury Thermometer Recycling

Breaking up with your mercury thermometer? Don't toss it in the trash like a bad ex! Turn to the experts at recycling centers to handle that toxic breakup: Mercury-containing thermometers must be responsibly recycled at specialized centers through organizations like the Thermostat Recycling Corporation, as improper disposal can lead to serious harm to both people and the environment.
Source => recyclenation.com