THE Temperature it is a scalar physical quantity that can be defined as a measure of the degree of agitation of the molecules that make up a body. The greater the molecular agitation, the higher the body temperature and the hotter it will be, and vice versa.
Is there an upper or lower temperature limit?
There is no maximum temperature limit, that is, there is no temperature value which cannot be exceeded, but there is a minimum temperature limit, which is called absolute zero. THE absolute zero temperature stands for -273.15 °C and it would be the point at which the molecular vibration would be as small as possible or non-existent.
How is temperature measured?
When heating any body, its molecules increase the vibration and tend to move away from each other, causing the so-called thermal expansion of materials. If the body is cooled, the thermal contraction.
The simplest way to measure temperature is to take advantage of the thermal expansion behavior and build, based on that, a thermometric scale.
When we put a thermometer in Mercury, material sensitive to temperature variations, in contact with the body of someone with fever, the mercury inside the thermometer is heated and expands until its temperature equals that of the body, reaching the heat balance. The column of mercury indicates a value established by a certain thermometric scale that corresponds exactly to the temperature of the febrile body.
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thermometric scales
There are currently three thermometric scales used around the world. See a table to compare the melting and boiling points for the three scales and the math conversion equation between them:
In the equation above, we have to:
TÇ = Any temperature on the Celsius scale;
TF = Any temperature on the Fahrenheit scale;
TK = Any temperature on the Kelvin scale.
Note that the Celsius and Kelvin scales have 100 intervals, so they are called centigrade scales. Also note that degree (°) notation is not used on the Kelvin scale.
By Joab Silas
Graduated in Physics
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
JUNIOR, Joab Silas da Silva. "What is temperature?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/fisica/o-que-e-temperatura.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
