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air thermometer

air thermometer

5.9
A device that measures temperature by sensing pressure changes in trapped air
  • noun
  • /ɛr θərˈmɑːmɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : termómetro de aire
  • Unlike a mercury device, an air thermometer responds to the pressure changes of confined gas.

Examples

  • An air thermometer is especially useful in experiments requiring stability at constant volume.

  • The laboratory used an air thermometer to obtain precise temperature readings.

  • The air thermometer showed a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

  • Where can I find an air thermometer?

  • In the lab, the scientists relied on an air thermometer to measure the temperature accurately during their experiments.

  • The air thermometer indicated a significant drop in temperature as the gas expanded in the container.

  • For this experiment, we will use an air thermometer to ensure that our measurements are consistent and precise.

Synonyms

thermometer
vsair thermometer
74 3.0

A tool that tells you how hot or cold something is

measures temperature through pressure changes in a trapped sample at constant volume
gas thermometer
vsair thermometer
  • Specialized
4.9

A thermometer that measures temperature by the pressure change of a gas in a fixed space

uses the surrounding atmosphere as the trapped sample for measurement

Surface Forms

Morphology

air + thermometer

The noun compound is directly compositional: 'air' + 'thermometer' denotes a thermometer that measures the air (i.e., ambient) temperature. The additional technical detail about measuring via gas pressure is specialized but not required for a B1 learner to grasp the basic meaning from the constituents.

Etymology

Air thermometer comes from the simple idea of using trapped air to measure 'temperature'. When the air inside a sealed bulb gets warmer or colder, its pressure changes and the device reads that change, so the name means a thermometer that measures 'temperature' by the air.