Temperature Sensors

Contact and non-contact temperature sensors

Both contact and non-contact temperature sensors require some assumptions and inferences in use to measure temperature. Many, many well-known uses of these sensors are very straightforward and few, if any, assumptions are required.

General Information...

Types of Temperature Sensors

Contact Sensors
Contact temperature sensors measure their own temperature. Assume the temperature of the object to which the sensor is in contact by inferring or knowing that the two are in thermal equilibrium, that is, there is no heat flow between them.

Non-Contact Sensors
Most commercial and scientific non-contact temperature sensors measure the thermal radiant power of the Infrared or Optical radiation that they receive. One then assumes the temperature of an object from which the radiant power is assumed to be emitted (some may be reflected rather than emitted). Sometimes the inference requires a correction for the spectral emissivity (NB: the two words have to be used together in correcting IR Thermometer readings) of the object being measured. Knowing how and when to apply a spectral emissivity correction is part of the inference, too, and can introduce significant errors if not done correctly.

Daily temperature sensor uses

Temperatures around the world are reported daily on the television, radio and internet weather reports. Even temperatures of the oceans and lakes are reported. They are, of course, measured with a non-contact sensor from a satellite in space or from ships. Land and air temperatures are measured, recorded and reported in similar means.  Temperature sensors educate us everyday on global warming or cooling phenomena.

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