Question

State similarities and differences between the laboratory thermometer and clinical thermometer.

Answer 1

Hint: In this question, we will know about the basics of the two types of thermometers namely laboratory thermometer and clinical thermometer. As we know that clinical thermometer is used to measure human body temperature and the laboratory thermometer is used to measure temperature other than body temperature.

Complete solution:
As we know that thermometer is defined as a device which is used to measure temperature or the temperature gradient i.e. the degree of hotness or coldness of an object.

Also, we know that there are mainly two types of thermometer namely: clinical thermometers and laboratory thermometers.

Now, if we define the clinical thermometers, these are used for clinical purposes and used to measure the temperature of a human body whereas, the laboratory thermometers are called lab thermometers as it is used to measure the temperature other than the body temperature.

If we look on some of the similarities between laboratory thermometer and clinical thermometer:
1) Both are made up of glass and have a long narrow tube.
2) Both the thermometers have a bulb at one end.
3) Bulbs inside both these thermometers are filled with mercury.
4) Bothe the thermometers have temperatures graduated in Celsius scale.
Let us now look at some of the differences between laboratory thermometer and clinical thermometer:

Laboratory Thermometer	Clinical Thermometer
Laboratory thermometers are used to measure the temperature in the laboratory.	Clinical thermometers are used to measure the body temperature.
It is a complex and accurate device.	It is a simple device.
Laboratory thermometers are used in laboratories.	Clinical thermometers are used at homes, clinics and hospitals.
It graduated from -10°C to 110°C.	It graduated from 35°C to 42°C.
Temperature using this thermometer is read when it is in contact with the source.	Temperature using this thermometer is read when it is removed from the source.

Note:
We should remember that mercury is the most commonly used material in different types of thermometers for many different reasons. Also, we should note that the laboratory thermometers cannot be used at the places of clinical thermometers and similarly clinical thermometers cannot be used at the place of laboratory thermometers because both of them have their measurement limits.