In the following set of questions, we will consider a mercury-in-glass thermometer. The two reference points will be assigned 0.01◦C and 100◦C based on the triple point and boiling point of water. a) Remark on the the rationale for selecting references based on phenomena such as phase transi- tions. Identify any prospective issues or special considerations one might have with this approach? b) Draw a schematic of a mercury-in-glass thermometer. Define an appropriate set of universe, system, and surroundings and explain the functional operation of thermometer from a thermody- namic analysis perspective. In your response, you should describe how energy flows and influences matter. Is your system open or closed? What kind of boundary do you have? What kind of approximations (if any) do you make for the reliable determination of temperature based on your decomposition of universe, system, and environment?
In the following set of questions, we will consider a mercury-in-glass thermometer. The two
reference points will be assigned 0.01◦C and 100◦C based on the triple point and boiling point of
water.
a) Remark on the the rationale for selecting references based on phenomena such as phase transi-
tions. Identify any prospective issues or special considerations one might have with this approach?
b) Draw a schematic of a mercury-in-glass thermometer. Define an appropriate set of universe,
system, and surroundings and explain the functional operation of thermometer from a thermody-
namic analysis perspective. In your response, you should describe how energy flows and influences
matter. Is your system open or closed? What kind of boundary do you have? What kind of
approximations (if any) do you make for the reliable determination of temperature based on your
decomposition of universe, system, and environment?
a) The rationale for selecting references based on phenomena such as phase transitions is that they are well-defined, reproducible and easily accessible. These phase transitions are related to the change in energy of a substance, and they have a fixed temperature and pressure, which makes them useful as reference points.
In the case of a mercury-in-glass thermometer, the triple point of water (0.01°C) is used as the lower reference, while the boiling point of water (100°C) is used as the upper reference. This allows us to define a temperature scale that covers a range of temperatures commonly encountered in daily life.
However, there are some prospective issues or special considerations one might have with this approach. For instance, the triple point and boiling point of water are influenced by pressure and impurities, which can affect the accuracy of the thermometer readings.
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