
Body Temperature Across Three Thermometer Types
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Do all thermometers give the same reading for the same body part? You compare three types:
- mercury glass
- digital thermocouple
- infrared
First you measure water held at 37 degrees Celsius with all three devices. Then you take readings from three spots on one person's body.
You discover whether the thermometer type changes the result. You also find out which body location reads the highest temperature.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that readings using different types of thermometers will be the same but different readings will be obtained from different parts of the body.
Method & Materials
You will measure the temperature of water and different parts of the body using three different thermometers.
You will need a participant, a glass mercury thermometer, a digital thermocouple thermometer, an infrared thermometer, a hot plate, a beaker, and tap water.
Results
The results showed that readings taken with all three types of thermometers were the same. The temperature taken inside the mouth was higher than the armpit's but lower than the temperature taken inside the ear.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how different thermometers measure body temperature in different parts of the body.
Also Consider
To improve the reliability and accuracy of the results, a larger sample of participants should be used. This science fair project may also be repeated at different times of the day to compare the body temperature changes.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related videos
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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