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definition of temperature scales

Changes in temperature have consequences on the physical or chemical properties of matter. In this sense, an increase or decrease in temperature can produce a variation in its length, volume or color in a body. These and other changes can be measured with a thermometer that determines how cold or hot a body is.

At the beginning of the 17th century, several scientists tried to create a system to measure the temperature of gases and liquids.

The inventor of the thermometer was the Italian Galileo Galilei at the beginning of the 17th century. The first thermal meter was based on the expansion of a gas, but with the passage of time mercury thermometers began to be used. At present there are different devices to measure temperature and for this external sensors are used. In each measuring instrument there are indicators, which correspond to a certain temperature scale.

The three most used temperature scales

So that the concepts of cold and heat were not subjective, it was necessary to introduce a scale that measured the heat of a body in a precise way. On the Reanumur scale, the freezing point of water received a value of zero degrees and the boiling point reached 80 degrees. This form of measurement ceased to be used in the 19th century, as it was superseded by others.

The Celsius scale It is named after the Swedish scientist Anders Celsius (1701-1744). In it, degree 0 represents the freezing point of water, while 100 corresponds to its boiling point.

The Kelvin scale, also known as the absolute scale, is normally used to check the behavior of gases. In other words, the pressure of a gas with a constant volume and a variation in temperature is measured. In degrees Kelvin, absolute zero corresponds to -273 degrees Celsius.

On the Fahrenheit scale the melting point of water reaches 32 degrees of temperature, while the boiling point is 212 degrees. This form of temperature measurement is the one used in Anglo-Saxon countries, but little by little this system is being displaced in favor of the international system.

Temperature is a physical quantity and is directly related to the energy of the particles that make up the different bodies.

The more the particles in a body move, the higher its temperature.

Keep in mind that the temperature does not have a maximum limit, but it does have a minimum limit. In this case, we speak of the absolute minimum.

Photo: Fotolia - Attaphong

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