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You carried out an experiment to establish the calibration curve of a thermometer - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 2 - 2012
Question 2
You carried out an experiment to establish the calibration curve of a thermometer. (i) Describe, with the aid of a diagram, the procedure you used in the experiment... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:You carried out an experiment to establish the calibration curve of a thermometer - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 2 - 2012
Step 1
Describe, with the aid of a diagram, the procedure you used in the experiment.
Answer
To establish the calibration curve of a thermometer, the following procedure was carried out:
- Set up a container filled with water and place it on a heat source (e.g., a Bunsen burner).
- Insert the thermometer into the water to measure its temperature.
- Gradually heat the water while ensuring that the thermometer is submerged.
- Record the thermometer readings at various water temperatures, for instance, at 0°C (ice water), 20°C (room temperature), 40°C (warm water), 60°C (hot water), 80°C (near boiling), and 100°C (boiling water).
- Ensure that the thermometer is left in the water until the reading stabilizes before recording.
- Additionally, measure the resistance of the thermometer or other properties as needed to compare with the temperature readings.
Include a labeled diagram illustrating this setup, showing the container with water, thermometer, and heat source.
Step 2
Name the thermometric property of the thermometer you calibrated and describe how the value of this property was measured.
Answer
The thermometric property of the thermometer calibrated is its resistance. This property is measured using the following steps:
- The thermometer is connected to a circuit with an ohmmeter to measure its resistance at various temperatures.
- As the temperature increases, the resistance also changes, which can be recorded.
- For example, at lower temperatures like 0°C, the resistance is lower, while at higher temperatures, like 100°C, the resistance is higher.
- The measurements are recorded to establish a relationship between temperature and resistance.
Step 3
Using the data in the table, draw a graph on graph paper to establish the calibration curve. Put temperature on the horizontal axis.
Answer
To draw the graph of the calibration curve:
- Set the horizontal axis (x-axis) to represent temperature in °C, ranging from 0 to 100.
- Set the vertical axis (y-axis) to depict the value of the thermometric property, ranging from 0 to 130.
- Plot the points based on the provided data:
- (0, 5)
- (20, 14)
- (40, 29)
- (60, 48)
- (80, 80)
- (100, 130)
- After plotting the points, connect them with a smooth curve to represent the relationship between temperature and the thermometric property.
- Ensure the graph is neatly labeled, with the axes clearly marked.
Step 4
Use your calibration curve to determine the temperature when the value of the thermometric property is 60.
Answer
To determine the temperature corresponding to a thermometric property value of 60:
- Locate the value of 60 on the vertical axis of the calibration graph.
- Draw a horizontal line from this point until it intersects with the calibration curve.
- From the point of intersection, draw a vertical line down to the horizontal axis to read the temperature.
- The estimated temperature where the thermometric property is 60 is approximately between 50°C and 60°C. For precise measurement, interpolating between the known values may give a more accurate temperature reading.