Liquid crystal thermometers display temperature ranges and heat transfer patterns through color changes in the cholesteric material. They are low cost and widely used in medical and manufacturing processes, home brewing, and even for measuring indoor water or air temperature ranges. They are also used in laboratory settings to monitor heat transfer and cooling properties of liquids.
A liquid crystal thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature ranges and heat transfer patterns. The results are displayed via color changes in the liquid cholesteric material of which the liquid crystal thermometer is made. These thermometers are used for a variety of applications, from reading a patient’s body temperature to taking accurate measurements of liquid and air temperature ranges in chemical laboratories or breweries. The low cost of the instrument, coupled with the ability to accurately measure a wide range of temperatures, make this thermometer an integral part of many manufacturing and medical processes.
As the ambient temperature rises and falls, the color of the cholesterol-based cholesteric fluid changes along the strip. To read a liquid crystal thermometer, the user simply notices the change in color of the thermometer. In some cases, the thermometer is also marked in degrees of temperature with numerical designations for greater accuracy of readings.
Liquid crystal thermometers are often used as equipment in processes such as home brewing of alcoholic beverages or other chemical reactions that require regulated temperatures. One of the most common types of thermometer in use today is an adhesive strip that sticks to the outside surface of bottles or laboratory equipment and produces accurate temperature readings of the containers. For tasks such as microbrewing beers, this thermometer provides an accurate measurement of the temperature range in the brew container. While the measurement is not as precise as a laser thermometer or a traditional liquid-immersed thermometer, the liquid crystal thermometer produces a result that has sufficient accuracy for reactions that need to be maintained within a specific temperature range, rather than a specific target temperature.
Even hobbyists who keep tropical fish or exotic animals, such as reptiles and amphibians, have adopted this type of thermometer as an important part of their equipment. Easily replaceable and low in cost, these thermometers can be affixed to the exterior surfaces of aquariums to provide an accurate measurement of indoor water or air temperature ranges. Unlike traditional mercury thermometers, the liquid crystal thermometer is not prone to breakage and the release of dangerous chemicals that could cause harm to the animals or fish in the aquarium.
In laboratory settings, the liquid crystal thermometer can be used to measure temperature changes and transfer patterns. The thermometer’s cholesterol-based liquid can be used to effectively monitor heat transfer by convection, radiation, and conduction. The same principles can also be used to demonstrate the cooling properties of liquids by heating the thermometer and then monitoring how quickly the liquid lowers the thermometer’s temperature by evaporation or immersion.
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