CALIBRATION OF TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICES

CHRISTHEL MAY M. PUEBLAS

Department of Chemical Engineering

College of Engineering and Architecture

Cebu Institute of Technology -University

N. Bacalso Ave. Cebu City, 6000 Philippines

This experiment aims to calibrate temperature measuring devices, such as a standard laboratory
thermometer and a thermocouple. Results show that there is a significant difference in the
temperature readings between the standard thermometer and the thermocouple which can be seen
in the heating curves, cooling curves and freezing curves. Difference in the results means that the
thermocouple is not accurate and calibrated and could cause unwanted errors if used in an
experiment. Thus, calibration is important and temperature measuring devices must be calibrated.

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 1. Introduction

It is important that the devices used to measure the physical quantities around were
accurate, reliable and calibrated. In the industry, the most commonly and most frequently
measurable variable is temperature. In measuring temperature, one must use a well-functioning
and in good quality temperature measuring device, which means a calibrated one. This
experiment aims to calibrate temperature measuring devices such as a standard thermometer and
a thermocouple.

Calibration is the activity of checking, by comparison with a standard, the accuracy of a

measuring instrument of any type. It may also include adjustment of the instrument to bring it
into alignment with the standard. Change in the accuracy of measuring devices is possible, which
could cause some errors in the results that is why there is a need to calibrate temperature
measuring devices. Calibration is made to ensure accurate and precise results, and to minimize
any measurement uncertainty. Uncalibrated temperature measuring device could lead to
unwanted errors.

One of the measuring device to be used in the experiment is the standard laboratory
thermometer or the mercury-in-glass or mercury thermometer which consists of a bulb
containing mercury attached to a glass tube. Another one is a thermocouple which produces a
temperature-dependent voltage as a result of the thermoelectric effect, and this voltage can be
interpreted to measure temperature. The temperature sensitive element of any thermometer or
thermocouple receives or gives up energy by heat transfer from or to its surroundings. If the
thermal conductivity is of the thermometer bulb is low, more time is required for the
thermometer to reach its equilibrium with the surroundings. When the thermal capacity of a
thermometer is large, considerable time is required for the element to absorb or release a quantity
of heat sufficient to bring it unto thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. It could be possible
that standard thermometer and thermocouple will not give the same results depending on their
temperature sensitive element and their thermal capacity.
2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Materials

 Apparatus:

Standard thermometer Bunsen burner

Thermocouple (type K) Iron stand

Water bath Wire gauze

2x 250 ml Beaker Clay shield

2 Iron clamp

 Materials:
400 ml Distilled water
500 g Crushed ice
Matchbox
*To be provided by the students.

2.2 Methods

(1) The room temperature and atmospheric pressure was recorded before performing the
experiment.
(2) By mounting the temperature measurement devices (i.e. standard laboratory
thermometer and thermocouple) using separate iron clamps on an iron stand equipped
with a 250 ml beaker on a clay shield with wire gauze, the boiling point measurement
apparatus was set up.
(3) Two hundred ml (200 ml) of distilled water was placed into the 250 ml beaker.
(4) The thermometer and the thermocouple were immersed inside the beaker and it was
made sure that both the thermometer and the thermocouple did not touch the wall or
bottom of the beaker. It should be noted that the thermometer should not be
withdrawn for reading during an experiment.
(5) The air hole of the Bunsen burner was closed and connected it to the closed gas outlet
using a rubber tubing. The gas outlet was slowly opened the burner was lighted with a
match.
(6) The water was brought to boil by adjusting the flame and was heated gradually to its
boiling temperature.
(7) The reading of the temperature measuring devices per increment in temperature was
recorded.
(8) The heat was removed from the set up and the liquid was allowed to cool down to
room temperature as soon as the readings were stabilized at the boiling point.
(9) The reading of the temperature measuring devices per decrement in temperature was
recorded.
(10) The beaker was placed in a water bath with crushed ice and allowed the water to
cool down to its freezing point.
(11) The reading of the temperature measuring devices per decrement in temperature
was recorded.
(12) The results were tabulated and plotted.
3. Results

Table 3.1 Heating Results (from Room temperature to Water’s Boiling point)

Time (seconds) Standard Thermometer Thermocouple

(degree Celsius) (degree Celsius)
0 25 25
87.8 30 30
182.7 35 35
224.6 40 40
270.3 45 45
324.0 50 51
377.0 55 56
433.4 60 62
491.0 65 67
563.9 70 73
633.7 75 79
728.6 80 84
814.5 85 90
943.1 90 96
1147.9 95 100
1300.8 96 101
97
98
99
100
Table 3.2 Cooling Results (from Boiling point to Room temperature)

Time (min) Standard Thermometer Thermocouple

(degree Celsius) (degree Celsius)
0 96 101
0:07 95 101
01:47 90 95
03:28 85 90
05:17 80 85
07:18 75 79
09:51 70 74
13:26 65 68
16:55 60 63
22:11 55 58
29:36 50 52
38:43 45 47
Table 3.3 Cooling Results (from Room temperature to Freezing point)

Time (min) Standard Thermometer Thermocouple

(degree Celsius) (degree Celsius)
0 40 40
2:13 35 34
3:35 30 24
4:29 28 23
4:58 27 22
6:10 25 20
9:02 20 16
12:49 15 11
16:54 10 9
18:22 9 8
18:57 8 8
20:51 7 7
23:00 6 6
24:07 5 6
25:33 4 5
27:02 3 4
27:59 2 3
28:48 1 3
29:59 0 2
31:05 -1 1
Graph 3.1 Heating Curves (from Room temperature to Boiling point)

Heating Curves
120

100
TEmp ( celsius )

80

60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (min)

Thermometer Thermocouple

Graph 3.2 Cooling Curves (from Boiling point to Room temperature)

Cooling Curves
120

100
TEmp ( celsius )

80

60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (min)

Thermometer Thermocouple
Graph 3.3 Freezing Curves (from Room temperature to Freezing point)

Freezing Curves
45
40
35
30
TEmp ( celsius )

25
20
15
10
5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-5
Time (min)

Thermometer Thermocouple

Table 3.4 Calibration Lines of the Standard Laboratory Thermometer and Thermocouple

Calibration Lines
120

100
TEmp ( celsius )

80

60

40

20

0
-5 15 35 55 75 95 115
Time (min)

Thermometer Thermocouple
 4. Analysis

It was shown in Graph 3.1 (heating curves) that temperature increases with respect to
time. As the distilled water was brought to boil, both the thermometer and the thermocouple
temperature readings were getting higher. In the first temperature intervals, from 250C to
450C, both the thermometer and the thermocouple readings displayed same results, but as the
temperature went beyond 500C the results were not the same anymore. Thermocouple
displayed higher temperature measurement than the standard thermometer with a difference
range from 10C to 50C between the two.

The Graph 3.2 (cooling curves) shows that temperature decreases with respect to time.
When the Distilled water reached its boiling point, heating was stopped and the cooling was
started. The distilled water in this procedure was cooled to room temperature. It was shown that
both the thermometer and thermocouple displayed almost the same results. Again, thermocouple
displayed higher temperature readings than the standard thermometer showing a difference of
10C to 50C between the two.

Based on the Freezing curves, Graph 3.3, temperature decreases as time increases. From
room temperature, the distilled water was brought to its freezing point in this procedure. It was
shown that difference in temperature readings were present but at this point, the standard
thermometer displayed higher temperature compared to the thermocouple with a difference of
10C to 50C.

The whole calibration procedure was summarized in Graph 3.4 (Calibration lines), which
showed that the thermocouple did not align that much with the standard thermometer line, which
means that the thermocouple did not display or give same temperature readings with the standard
one giving significant difference between the results of the two thermometer.
 5. Conclusion

In this experiment, calibration was performed using standard laboratory thermometer and
thermocouple. The results showed that temperature measuring devices, such as a thermocouple,
were not that accurate, precise and reliable and that they must be calibrated. It was proved that
the thermocouple tested was not accurate and calibrated thus showing that there is a significant
difference in the temperature reading results given by the standard thermometer and
thermocouple. Mostly in the results, thermocouple gives higher temperature readings compared
to the standard one. Differences in the temperature readings were shown in the heating curves,
cooling curves and freezing curves. Many factors may be the cause of this inaccuracy of results
like the accuracy of some measuring device degrade over time or maybe they both have different
temperature sensitive element and different thermal capacity. Overall the purpose of the
experiment was well performed and it was known that the goal of calibration is to minimize any
measurement uncertainty by ensuring the accuracy of test equipment. This experiment showed
the importance of calibrating temperature measuring devices and all other measuring devices.

6. Answer to Questions

1. Why do we need to calibrate temperature measuring devices?

Change in the accuracy of measuring devices is possible, which could cause some errors
in the results that is why there is a need to calibrate temperature measuring devices. Calibration
is made to ensure accurate and precise results, and to minimize any measurement uncertainty.
Uncalibrated temperature measuring device could lead to unwanted errors, and could be
dangerous if calibrated measuring device must be used in an experiment.
 2. What is the importance of recording the room temperature and atmospheric pressure
prior to the experiment?

The importance of recording the room temperature and atmospheric pressure before
conducting the experiment is to know if thermal equilibrium is achieved and to know the starting
point or the initial temperature and initial pressure in order to compare it with the final
temperature and final results.

3. Compare the heating curves and the cooling curves. Give an explanation to your
observations.

It was shown that as the time increases, temperature also increases both in the standard
thermometer and the thermocouple based on the heating curves. The heating curves also shows
that thermocouple displayed a little higher temperature readings compared to the standard one
giving differences between the two. In the cooling curves, temperature decreases as the time
increases and still the thermocouple displayed higher temperature readings than the standard
thermometer with a difference of 10C to 50C.

4. Which temperature measuring device is calibrated? Which is more accurate?

In performing calibration, two temperature measuring devices should be used in this

experiment. The standard thermometer is the more accurate, precise and reliable one, while the
thermocouple is the device that is calibrated in this experiment or the device that needs
calibration and less accurate.
7. References

https://www.aicompanies.com/education/calibration/what-is-calibration/
July 22,2017
http://www.otc.co.uk/Calibration.php
July 23, 2017
http://www.surecontrols.com/why-calibration-of-your-measuring-instruments-is-
important/
July 23, 2017