The steam point and the ice point of a mercury thermometer are wrongly marked as 92 and 2 resp. The correct temperature read by this thermometer is
To determine the correct temperature read by this thermometer, we need to understand how mercury thermometers work and how to calibrate them.
Mercury thermometers use the principle that the volume of mercury expands and contracts with changes in temperature. This expansion and contraction can be measured on a graduated scale, allowing us to determine the temperature.
Typically, mercury thermometers are calibrated using two reference points: the steam point and the ice point. The steam point refers to the temperature at which water boils, which is typically 100 degrees Celsius at standard atmospheric pressure. The ice point refers to the temperature at which water freezes, which is typically 0 degrees Celsius at standard atmospheric pressure.
In this case, the steam point and the ice point of the mercury thermometer are wrongly marked as 92 and 2 degrees, respectively. To determine the correct temperature read by this thermometer, we need to compare it to a calibrated thermometer at known reference points.
To do this, we can:
1. Place the incorrectly marked mercury thermometer alongside a calibrated thermometer.
2. Bring a container of water to a boil and record the temperature read by both thermometers.
3. Then, place both thermometers in a container of ice water (a mixture of ice and water) and record the temperature read by both thermometers.
By comparing the readings of the incorrectly marked mercury thermometer to the calibrated thermometer at the steam point and the ice point, we can calculate the correction needed.
For example, if the incorrectly marked thermometer reads 92 degrees at the steam point, but the calibrated thermometer reads 100 degrees, we can determine that there is an error of 8 degrees. Similarly, if the incorrectly marked thermometer reads 2 degrees at the ice point, but the calibrated thermometer reads 0 degrees, we can determine that there is an error of 2 degrees.
Once we have determined the errors at the two reference points, we can apply those corrections to any reading taken by the incorrectly marked thermometer to obtain the correct temperature.
For instance, if the incorrectly marked thermometer reads 20 degrees, we would subtract the correction (which we determined to be 8 degrees) from the reading, resulting in a correct temperature of 12 degrees.
Therefore, the correct temperature read by this thermometer can be determined by comparing its readings to a calibrated thermometer and applying the necessary corrections based on the errors at the steam point and the ice point.