Wrap a cotton wool around a thermometre,will its temperature rise? Explain your answer please

Is heat flowing inward or outward?

Heat is moving inward

No, wrapping cotton wool around a thermometer will not cause its temperature to rise. A thermometer measures temperature by using a temperature-sensing element, such as a mercury or alcohol-filled bulb. The cotton wool is an insulating material that does not generate heat.

To explain further, a thermometer works by measuring the expansion or contraction of a substance due to temperature changes. When the temperature rises, the substance expands, which is reflected by the movement of a liquid (such as mercury or alcohol) inside the thermometer.

Wrapping cotton wool around the thermometer may actually have an opposite effect. The purpose of the cotton wool is typically to provide insulation, which helps prevent heat transfer from the surrounding environment to the thermometer. By insulating the thermometer, the cotton wool can slow down or hinder the transfer of heat, which may result in a slower response time in measuring the temperature accurately.

Therefore, while the cotton wool insulation may protect the thermometer from rapid temperature changes or fluctuations, it does not generate or alter the temperature being measured. The thermometer's temperature reading will still depend solely on the surrounding environment, not on the cotton wool.