How to make a Thermometer

A thermometer is an instrument that is used to measure the temperature of the body. While this homemade thermometer won’t tell you if you have a fever or not. It will tell how hot and cold your surroundings are.  Here’s a way that will show how simple a thermometer works.

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Materials required

1. Plastic Water Bottle

2. Clay

3. Plastic Straw                                                  

4. Regular Water

5. Food Coloring

Procedure

1. Pour lukewarm water into the bottle filling about 1/4 of the bottle.

2. Put few drops of food coloring into the water bottle and mix

3. Insert the straw in the bottle, but don’t let the straw touch the bottom.

4. Now use the modeling clay to seal the neck of the bottle so, that the straw stays in place.

5. Mark the level of the water in the straw.

6. Place the bottle in the bowl of hot water and check the level of water in the straw.

7. Again place the bottle in the bowl of ice water and check what happen to the level of the water in the straw.

What you examined

As you put the bottle in the hot bowl, the water in the bottle expands and becomes less dense making the water in the straw rise till the surface. Accordingly, when the bottle is kept in the cold bowl, the water in the bottle cools down becoming more denser, making the water in the straw come back to its normal level.

With this homemade thermometer, you will not be able to measure the temperature but can examine the anomalous nature of water.

Also Read: How to make a Pendulum

Tejal Mistry